Origin
Rochester, WI
Morning in Rochester on Tuesday
Local time
7:06 AM
CDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Rochester, WI to Wauwatosa, 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
43m
Distance
27.3 mi
44 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 40m
★
6 AM
0h 44m
8 AM
0h 51m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 46m
3 PM
0h 47m
5 PM
0h 51m
8 PM
0h 42m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rochester, WI
Tom Fisk
Wauwatosa, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Rochester to Wauwatosa is 27.3 miles and takes about 43m via State Highway 36, Loomis Road, and Zoo Freeway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip keeps you within Wisconsin, moving from the Midwest region to another part of the same region. It's a straightforward drive that can easily be done as a single-day excursion, offering a practical way to get between these two points without a significant time commitment. Consider this route if you need a quick and efficient connection between your starting and ending locations.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| State Highway 36 | 7.3 mi | 10m |
| Loomis Road | 6 mi | 8m |
| Zoo Freeway | 5.1 mi | 7m |
| South Lovers Lane Road | 4.4 mi | 8m |
| US 45 | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Milwaukee Avenue | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| West Watertown Plank Road | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Harwood Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
State Highway 36
— 7.3 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rochester, WI and Wauwatosa, 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
6.0 mi
·
8 min
·
Loomis Road
6
Continue on US 45
448 ft
·
19 sec
·
US 45
7
Turn left onto US 45; WI 100
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
West Saint Martins Road
8
Continue on US 45; WI 100
4.4 mi
·
8 min
·
South Lovers Lane Road
9
Take the ramp onto US 45
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
·
US 45
Toward I 43 North, US 45 North
10
Merge onto I 43; US 45
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
Rock Freeway
11
Take the exit onto US 45
0.6 mi
·
55 sec
·
US 45
Exit 61
Toward I 41 North, US 45 North, I 894 West: Fond du Lac, Madison
12
Merge onto I 41; I 894; US 41; US 45
5.1 mi
·
7 min
·
Zoo Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
13
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
Exit 40A-B
Toward Watertown Plank Road
Use the slight right lane.
14
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
Exit 40A
Toward Watertown Plank Road East
Use the right lane.
15
Turn straight onto West Watertown Plank Road
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
West Watertown Plank Road
Use the left lane.
16
Continue on Harwood Avenue
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
Harwood Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
17
Turn left onto WI 181
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
Harmonee Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
18
Turn right onto West Menomonee River Parkway
498 ft
·
21 sec
·
West Menomonee River Parkway
19
Arrive at destination
West State Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 19.9 and 27.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
19.9 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
US 45
Take the exit onto US 45 toward I 41 North, US 45 North, I 894 West: Fond du Lac, Madison
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 61
Toward I 41 North, US 45 North, I 894 West: Fon...
5
20.5 mi into trip
|
~32m in
|
I 41; I 894; US 41; US 45 / Zoo Freeway
Merge onto I 41; I 894; US 41; US 45 / Zoo Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
7
25.6 mi into trip
|
~39m in
Take the exit toward Watertown Plank Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 40A-B
Toward Watertown Plank Road
9
25.8 mi into trip
|
~39m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Watertown Plank Road East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 40A
Toward Watertown Plank Road East
6
27.1 mi into trip
|
~42m in
|
WI 181 / Harmonee Avenue
Turn left onto WI 181 / Harmonee Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.27 one way
$8.54 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $4.69 | $9.37 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.25 | $10.51 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.03 | $12.05 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.6 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 | 8.2 | 0 | $2.87 | $1.31 |
| Efficient EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.39 | $1.09 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.9 | 0 | $3.82 | $1.75 |
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
Wauwatosa, WI
Morning in Wauwatosa on Tuesday
Local time
7:06 AM
CDT
Current temp
59°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
1 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
43m 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?
About half of this 27.3-mile route is on highways, with the remaining portion on surface roads. You'll encounter a stretch of 7.3 miles on State Highway 36, likely offering a more open cruising experience before transitioning to Loomis Road and the Zoo Freeway. Expect a mix of driving conditions, from potentially faster-paced highway travel to more suburban or urban merging as you approach Wauwatosa.
50% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.3 mi on State Highway 36.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 19.9 miles in near US 45.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 27.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 19.9 miles (US 45): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 20.5 miles (I 41; I 894; US 41; US 45 / Zoo Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 25.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Rochester, WI and Wauwatosa, WI, road signs point toward Madison and Watertown Plank Road East.
Madison
19.9 mi in
|
~31m
|
via US 45
Watertown Plank Road East
25.8 mi in
|
~39m
About the Cities
Arriving in Wauwatosa, WI
Full guide →Wauwatosa is in Southeast Wisconsin.
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 43m. Total distance: 27.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (50%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.3 miles on State Highway 36. 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 Wauwatosa, 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 19.9 miles (US 45): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 20.5 miles (I 41; I 894; US 41; US 45 / Zoo Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 25.6 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 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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