Origin
Thiensville, WI
Afternoon in Thiensville on Sunday
Local time
3:23 PM
CDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Thiensville, WI to Franklin, WI
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
49m
Distance
29.2 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 45m
★
6 AM
0h 49m
8 AM
0h 57m
10 AM
0h 52m
12 PM
0h 51m
3 PM
0h 52m
5 PM
0h 57m
8 PM
0h 47m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Thiensville, WI
Tom Fisk
Franklin, WI
Tom Fisk
Trip Overview
Thiensville to Franklin is 29.2 miles and takes about 49 minutes via Zoo Freeway and US 45, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within Wisconsin, moving you through the Midwest region. It's a straightforward trip, primarily focused on highway travel, making it a convenient option for a quick transition or a day trip. You'll be on the road for less than an hour, so planning for extensive stops isn't necessary, but you should be aware of the primary roads you'll be using.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Zoo Freeway | 13.1 mi | 17m |
| US 45 | 5.8 mi | 10m |
| North 76th Street | 3 mi | 5m |
| West Good Hope Road | 2.5 mi | 5m |
| Wauwatosa Road | 2 mi | 3m |
| West Mequon Road | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Green Bay Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| South Main Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Zoo Freeway
— 13.1 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Thiensville, WI and Franklin, WI.
1
Start on Vernon Avenue
492 ft
·
24 sec
·
Vernon Avenue
2
Turn right onto East Freistadt Road
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
East Freistadt Road
3
Turn left onto Green Bay Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Green Bay Road
4
Turn left onto South Main Street
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
South Main Street
5
Continue on Cedarburg Road
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
·
Cedarburg Road
6
Turn right onto WI 167
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
West Mequon Road
7
Turn left onto WI 181
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Wauwatosa Road
Use the left lane.
8
Continue on WI 181
3.0 mi
·
5 min
·
North 76th Street
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
9
Turn right onto CTH PP
2.5 mi
·
5 min
·
West Good Hope Road
Use the left lane.
10
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Toward I 41 South, US 45 South, WI 100: Bypass
11
Merge onto I 41; US 41; US 45; WI 100
13 mi
·
17 min
·
Zoo Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit onto US 45
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
US 45
Exit 4
Toward I 43 South, US 45 South: Beloit
13
Take the exit onto US 45
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
US 45
Exit 60
Toward US 45, WI 100: 108th Street
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
14
Keep slight right at fork onto US 45
4.8 mi
·
9 min
·
US 45
Toward WI 100 South, US 45 South
Use the slight right lane.
15
Turn right
87 ft
·
8 sec
16
Turn right
160 ft
·
11 sec
17
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 24.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East Freistadt Road
Turn right onto East Freistadt Road
Navigation decision point
6
2.3 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
WI 181 / Wauwatosa Road
Turn left onto WI 181 / Wauwatosa Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
23.3 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
US 45
Take the exit onto US 45 toward I 43 South, US 45 South: Beloit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 4
Toward I 43 South, US 45 South: Beloit
8
24.2 mi into trip
|
~39m in
|
US 45
Take the exit onto US 45 toward US 45, WI 100: 108th Street
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 60
Toward US 45, WI 100: 108th Street
8
24.3 mi into trip
|
~39m in
|
US 45
Keep slight right at fork onto US 45 toward WI 100 South, US 45 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward WI 100 South, US 45 South
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.57 one way
$9.13 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.01 | $10.02 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.62 | $11.24 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.45 | $12.89 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.2 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 | 8.8 | 0 | $3.07 | $1.40 |
| Efficient EV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.55 | $1.17 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.7 | 0 | $4.09 | $1.87 |
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
Franklin, WI
Afternoon in Franklin on Sunday
Local time
3:23 PM
CDT
Current temp
58°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
14 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
49m 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 is a highway-focused drive, with 65% of the journey on faster roads. You'll spend a significant portion of your time on the Zoo Freeway, experiencing a stretch of 13.1 miles without needing to exit. The route transitions from the Zoo Freeway to US 45 and then North 76th Street, offering a mix of high-speed travel and slightly more local road conditions as you approach your destination. Expect a consistent pace for most of this 29.2-mile trip.
65% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.1 mi on Zoo Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Zoo Freeway and US 45. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near East Freistadt Road.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 29.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 49m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (East Freistadt Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.3 miles (WI 181 / Wauwatosa Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 23.3 miles (US 45): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 49m. Total distance: 29.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
49m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (65%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.1 miles on Zoo Freeway. 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 Franklin, 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 0.1 miles (East Freistadt Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.3 miles (WI 181 / Wauwatosa Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 23.3 miles (US 45): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Franklin, 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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