Origin
South Milwaukee, WI
Late night in South Milwaukee on Sunday
Local time
5:09 AM
CDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from South Milwaukee, WI to Milwaukee, WI
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
19m
Distance
10.5 mi
17 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 18m
★
6 AM
0h 20m
8 AM
0h 23m
10 AM
0h 21m
12 PM
0h 20m
3 PM
0h 21m
5 PM
0h 23m
8 PM
0h 19m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
South Milwaukee, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Milwaukee, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a quick excursion from South Milwaukee to Milwaukee, you are looking at a straightforward 10.5-mile journey. This local commute typically takes about 17 minutes, making it an ideal candidate for a single-day trip. You will navigate primarily via North Chicago Avenue, East College Avenue, and South Pennsylvania Avenue. Since the entire route is within the Midwest, the transition between these two Wisconsin cities is seamless and familiar. With a minimal fuel budget of just $1, this is an incredibly economical way to travel between the two areas. No overnight stay is required, as the short duration allows for maximum flexibility in your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| John R. Plewa Memorial Lake Parkway | 4.1 mi | 6m |
| Lake Freeway | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| South Pennsylvania Avenue | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| North Chicago Avenue | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| East College Avenue | 1 mi | 2m |
| 10th Avenue | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| North Milwaukee Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
John R. Plewa Memorial Lake Parkway
— 4.1 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between South Milwaukee, WI and Milwaukee, WI.
1
Start on WI 32
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
10th Avenue
2
Continue on WI 32
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
North Chicago Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
3
Turn left onto CTH ZZ
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
East College Avenue
4
Turn straight
181 ft
·
8 sec
5
At end of road, turn right onto WI 794
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
South Pennsylvania Avenue
Use the right lane.
6
Turn left onto WI 794
4.1 mi
·
6 min
·
John R. Plewa Memorial Lake Parkway
Use the left lane.
7
Continue on I 794
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Lake Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 1E
Toward Milwaukee Street, Downtown
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
9
Turn right onto WI 32
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
North Milwaukee Street
Use the slight left / slight right / uturn lanes.
10
Arrive at destination
US 18; WI 32
Heads-up: tricky spots
4 of 44 decision points cluster between mile 2.4 and 10.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
2.4 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
WI 794 / South Pennsylvania Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto WI 794 / South Pennsylvania Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
3.9 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
WI 794 / John R. Plewa Memorial Lake Parkway
Turn left onto WI 794 / John R. Plewa Memorial Lake Parkway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
10.1 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward Milwaukee Street, Downtown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Exit 1E
Toward Milwaukee Street, Downtown
6
10.3 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
WI 32 / North Milwaukee Street
Turn right onto WI 32 / North Milwaukee Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right / uturn lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.64 one way
$3.28 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $1.80 | $3.60 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.02 | $4.04 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.32 | $4.64 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.2 | 0 | $1.10 | $0.50 |
| Efficient EV | 2.6 | 0 | $0.92 | $0.42 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.47 | $0.67 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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 Sunday
Local time
5:09 AM
CDT
Current temp
46°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
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
19m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged behind the wheel rather than a monotonous interstate cruise. Because this route has a 0% highway share, you will be navigating surface streets for the entirety of the 10.5-mile trip. You won't find any long, uninterrupted stretches here, as the longest segment is 0 miles on North Chicago Avenue. The road personality is defined by consistent turns and urban navigation rather than high-speed cruising. It is a practical, no-frills drive that requires your full attention to navigate the local intersections effectively.
60% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4.1 mi on John R. Plewa Memorial Lake Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 4 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 2.4 miles in near WI 794 / South Pennsylvania Avenue.
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 10.5 miles you will encounter 4 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: at 2.4 miles (WI 794 / South Pennsylvania Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.9 miles (WI 794 / John R. Plewa Memorial Lake Parkway): Lane positioning matters here; at 10.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 19m. Total distance: 10.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
19m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (60%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 4.1 miles on John R. Plewa Memorial Lake Parkway. 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: at 2.4 miles (WI 794 / South Pennsylvania Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.9 miles (WI 794 / John R. Plewa Memorial Lake Parkway): Lane positioning matters here; at 10.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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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