Origin
Waukesha, WI
Morning in Waukesha on Sunday
Local time
11:22 AM
CDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Waukesha, WI to Racine, WI
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 4m
Distance
43.6 mi
70 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 59m
★
6 AM
1h 5m
8 AM
1h 15m
10 AM
1h 8m
12 PM
1h 7m
3 PM
1h 9m
5 PM
1h 14m
8 PM
1h 2m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Waukesha, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Racine, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Waukesha to Racine is 43.6 miles and takes about 1 hour 4 minutes via North-South Freeway and East-West Freeway, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Wisconsin, moving from the Midwest region to the same one. It's a straightforward drive, primarily on well-maintained highways. Consider this route if you need a quick connection between these two Wisconsin cities without much fuss. The estimated fuel cost is quite low, making it an economical option.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North-South Freeway | 11.9 mi | 13m |
| Northwestern Avenue | 9 mi | 15m |
| East-West Freeway | 5.6 mi | 6m |
| Airport Freeway | 4.3 mi | 5m |
| Zoo Freeway | 4 mi | 5m |
| West Main Street | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| East Moreland Boulevard | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| I 41 | 1.3 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
North-South Freeway
— 11.9 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Waukesha, WI and Racine, WI.
1
Start on West Main Street
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
West Main Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
2
Turn slight left
406 ft
·
17 sec
3
Turn left onto US 18; WI 164
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
Les Paul Parkway
4
Turn right onto US 18; WI 164
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
East Moreland Boulevard
5
Take the ramp
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 94 East
6
Merge onto I 94
5.6 mi
·
6 min
·
East-West Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 305A-B
Toward I 41, I 894, US 45: Chicago, Fond du Lac
Use the slight right lane.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
38 sec
Toward I 41 South, I 894 East, US 41 South, US 45 South: Chicago
Use the slight left lane.
9
Continue on this road
0.3 mi
·
30 sec
·
this road
Exit 305A
Toward I 41 South, I 894 East, US 41 South, US 45 South: Chicago
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Toward I 41, I 894, US 45 South: Chicago
11
Merge onto I 41; I 894; US 41; US 45
4.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Zoo Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Merge onto I 41; I 43; I 894; US 41
4.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Airport Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork onto I 41; US 41
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
I 41; US 41
Exit 10B
Toward I 41 South, I 94 South: Chicago
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Merge onto I 41; I 94; US 41
12 mi
·
13 min
·
North-South Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
30 sec
Exit 329
Toward CTH K: Racine, Caledonia
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Turn left onto CTH K
5.1 mi
·
9 min
·
Northwestern Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
17
Enter roundabout onto WI 38
27 ft
·
0 sec
·
Northwestern Avenue
18
Continue on WI 38
3.4 mi
·
5 min
·
Northwestern Avenue
Use the straight lane.
19
Enter roundabout onto WI 38
91 ft
·
1 sec
·
Northwestern Avenue
20
Continue on WI 38
0.4 mi
·
34 sec
·
Northwestern Avenue
21
Enter roundabout onto WI 38
72 ft
·
4 sec
·
State Street
22
Continue on WI 38
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
State Street
Use the straight lane.
23
Turn right onto WI 32
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
Main Street
24
Turn right onto WI 20; WI 32
309 ft
·
17 sec
·
6th Street
25
Turn left onto Wisconsin Avenue
284 ft
·
14 sec
·
Wisconsin Avenue
26
Turn left onto WI 20; WI 32
245 ft
·
8 sec
·
7th Street
27
Arrive at destination
WI 20; WI 32
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 21.8 miles from Waukesha, WI, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 225 decision points cluster between mile 9.8 and 32.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
9.8 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Take the exit toward I 41, I 894, US 45: Chicago, Fond du Lac
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 305A-B
Toward I 41, I 894, US 45: Chicago, Fond du Lac
8
10.4 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 41 South, I 894 East, US 41 South, US 45 South: Chicago
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 41 South, I 894 East, US 41 South, US...
7
11 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 41, I 894, US 45 South: Chicago
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 41, I 894, US 45 South: Chicago
9
19.5 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
I 41; US 41
Keep slight left at fork onto I 41; US 41 toward I 41 South, I 94 South: Chicago
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 10B
Toward I 41 South, I 94 South: Chicago
8
32.8 mi into trip
|
~45m in
Take the exit toward CTH K: Racine, Caledonia
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 329
Toward CTH K: Racine, Caledonia
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.82 one way
$13.63 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $7.48 | $14.97 |
| premium | $4.89 | $8.39 | $16.78 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.63 | $19.25 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.1 | 0 | $4.58 | $2.09 |
| Efficient EV | 10.9 | 0 | $3.82 | $1.74 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.4 | 0 | $6.10 | $2.79 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (67% 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
Racine, WI
Morning in Racine on Sunday
Local time
11:22 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
23 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
1h 4m 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 route is a highway-focused drive, with 63% of it utilizing major freeways. You'll experience stretches of consistent speed, including the longest uninterrupted segment of 11.9 miles on the North-South Freeway. While much of the journey is on these main roads, expect some transitions as you navigate Northwestern Avenue and the East-West Freeway. The overall feel is one of efficient travel, designed for getting from point A to point B with minimal detours.
63% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
27 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.9 mi on North-South Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on North-South Freeway and Northwestern Avenue. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 9.8 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 43.6 miles you will encounter 22 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 9.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Waukesha, WI and Racine, WI, road signs point toward Fond Du Lac, Cth K: Racine and Caledonia.
Fond Du Lac
9.8 mi in
|
~15m
Cth K: Racine
32.8 mi in
|
~45m
Caledonia
32.8 mi in
|
~45m
About the Cities
Arriving in Racine, WI
Full guide →Racine is a city of 77,000 people (2019) in Southeast Wisconsin along Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Root River. It is the county seat of Racine County.
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 1h 4m. Total distance: 43.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 4m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (63%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.9 miles on North-South 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 Racine, 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 9.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Racine, 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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