Origin
Rochester, WI
Late night in Rochester on Tuesday
Local time
4:13 AM
CDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Rochester, WI to Milwaukee, WI
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
45m
Distance
29.5 mi
47 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 41m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 52m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rochester, WI
Tom Fisk
Milwaukee, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Rochester, WI to Milwaukee, WI is 29.5 miles and takes about 45m via Loomis Road and State Highway 36, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within Wisconsin, connecting two points in the Midwest region. It's a straightforward trip, mostly on highways but with some surface roads mixed in. Given the short distance and duration, it's an easy same-day trip, perfect for a quick commute or a brief excursion.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Loomis Road | 10.1 mi | 14m |
| State Highway 36 | 7.3 mi | 10m |
| North-South Freeway | 5 mi | 7m |
| West Loomis Road | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| I 43 | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Milwaukee Avenue | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Airport Freeway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| West Main Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Loomis Road
— 10.1 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rochester, WI and Milwaukee, WI.
1
Start on CTH D
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
·
West Main Street
2
Continue on CTH D
0.1 mi
·
27 sec
·
Washington Avenue
3
Turn left onto WI 36; WI 83
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Milwaukee Avenue
4
Continue on WI 36
7.3 mi
·
10 min
·
State Highway 36
5
Continue on WI 36
10 mi
·
14 min
·
Loomis Road
6
Continue on WI 36
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
West Loomis Road
Use the right lane.
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Toward I 43 North, I 894 East, I 41 South
Use the right lane.
8
Merge onto I 41; I 43; I 894; US 41
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Airport Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 43
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
I 43
Exit 10A
Toward I 43, I 94: Milwaukee
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto I 94
5.0 mi
·
7 min
·
North-South Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Exit 310C
Toward I 794 East: Lakefront
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
Exit 1D
Toward Plankington Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 1D
Toward Plankinton Avenue
14
Continue on North Plankinton Avenue
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
North Plankinton Avenue
Use the straight lane.
15
Turn right onto West Michigan Street
0.2 mi
·
48 sec
·
West Michigan Street
Use the right lane.
16
Turn left onto US 18; WI 32
500 ft
·
19 sec
·
North Milwaukee Street
17
Arrive at destination
US 18; WI 32
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 20.9 and 29.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
20.9 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Take the ramp toward I 43 North, I 894 East, I 41 South
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Toward I 43 North, I 894 East, I 41 South
9
21.9 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
I 43
Keep slight right at fork onto I 43 toward I 43, I 94: Milwaukee
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 10A
Toward I 43, I 94: Milwaukee
7
28 mi into trip
|
~41m in
Take the exit toward I 794 East: Lakefront
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 310C
Toward I 794 East: Lakefront
8
28.2 mi into trip
|
~42m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Plankington Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 1D
Toward Plankington Avenue
7
29.1 mi into trip
|
~44m in
|
West Michigan Street
Turn right onto West Michigan Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.61 one way
$9.22 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.06 | $10.13 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.68 | $11.35 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.51 | $13.03 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.10 | $1.42 |
| Efficient EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.58 | $1.18 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.8 | 0 | $4.13 | $1.89 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Milwaukee, WI
Late night in Milwaukee on Tuesday
Local time
4:13 AM
CDT
Current temp
47°F
Partly Sunny
W 20 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 18 at 12:59PM CDT by NWS Green Bay WI
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 18 at 12:37PM CDT until April 24 at 1:00PM CDT by NWS Green Bay WI
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
13 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
45m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This route features a 48% highway share, meaning you'll spend nearly half the time on freeways. The longest continuous stretch on surface roads is 10.1 miles on Loomis Road. You'll notice the transition from more open highway cruising to navigating local streets as you approach Milwaukee. Expect a mix of speeds and traffic patterns throughout the 29.5 miles.
48% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.1 mi on Loomis Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 20.9 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 29.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 20.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21.9 miles (I 43): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 28 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Milwaukee, WI
Full guide →Milwaukee is the largest city in the state of Wisconsin, United States. The city celebrates its heritage as a major center for beer-brewing, and of it German and Polish communities. It is now known for its many festivals. The city's population is about 600,000 with about 1.6 million in the metropolitan area (2019). It is in the southeastern portion of the state on the western shore of Lake Michigan.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 45m. Total distance: 29.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (48%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.1 miles on Loomis Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Milwaukee, WI before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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: at 20.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21.9 miles (I 43): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 28 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Milwaukee, 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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