Origin
River Hills, WI
Morning in River Hills on Sunday
Local time
11:14 AM
CDT
Current temp
45°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from River Hills, WI to Wauwatosa, WI
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
26m
Distance
14.2 mi
23 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 24m
★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
River Hills, WI
Tom Fisk
Wauwatosa, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
River Hills to Wauwatosa is 14.2 miles and takes about 26 minutes via North-South Freeway, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Wisconsin, connecting two points in the Midwest region. It's a quick drive that primarily utilizes a freeway, making it a straightforward option for a day trip or a brief commute. Given its brevity, you'll find it easy to fit into a busy schedule without needing an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North-South Freeway | 8.6 mi | 11m |
| West State Street | 2.7 mi | 7m |
| West Highland Avenue | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| West Highland Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| West Brown Deer Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| North Spruce Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North 35th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West Heather Lane | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
North-South Freeway
— 8.6 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between River Hills, WI and Wauwatosa, WI.
1
Start on West Heather Lane
201 ft
·
8 sec
·
West Heather Lane
2
Turn right onto North Spruce Road
0.2 mi
·
37 sec
·
North Spruce Road
3
Turn right onto WI 100
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
West Brown Deer Road
4
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 94 East Alternate, I 43 South: Milwaukee
5
Merge onto I 43
8.6 mi
·
11 min
·
North-South Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
47 sec
Exit 72E
Toward Highland Avenue, 11th Street
Use the slight right lane.
7
Turn right onto US 18
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
West Highland Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Continue on US 18
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Highland Boulevard
9
Turn left onto US 18
276 ft
·
8 sec
·
North 35th Street
10
Turn right onto West Linden Place
120 ft
·
4 sec
·
West Linden Place
11
Turn straight onto West State Street
2.7 mi
·
7 min
·
West State Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Arrive at destination
West State Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 9.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North Spruce Road
Turn right onto North Spruce Road
Navigation decision point
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
WI 100 / West Brown Deer Road
Turn right onto WI 100 / West Brown Deer Road
Navigation decision point
5
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 43 / North-South Freeway
Merge onto I 43 / North-South Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
9.6 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the exit toward Highland Avenue, 11th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 72E
Toward Highland Avenue, 11th Street
6
9.9 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
US 18 / West Highland Avenue
Turn right onto US 18 / West Highland Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.22 one way
$4.44 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.44 | $4.87 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.73 | $5.47 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.14 | $6.27 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.49 | $0.68 |
| Efficient EV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.24 | $0.57 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.7 | 0 | $1.99 | $0.91 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Wauwatosa, WI
Morning in Wauwatosa on Sunday
Local time
11:14 AM
CDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
2 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
26m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is 61% highway, with an 8.6-mile stretch on the North-South Freeway. You'll experience freeway cruising for a significant portion before transitioning to surface streets. Expect a dense exit environment during the highway portion, common for urban-adjacent routes.
61% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.6 mi on North-South Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on North-South Freeway and West State Street. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near North Spruce Road.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 14.2 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (North Spruce Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (WI 100 / West Brown Deer Road): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles (I 43 / North-South Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 26m. Total distance: 14.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (61%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.6 miles on North-South Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (North Spruce Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (WI 100 / West Brown Deer Road): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles (I 43 / North-South Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Wauwatosa, WI before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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