Origin
Waukesha, WI
Morning in Waukesha on Sunday
Local time
11:34 AM
CDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Waukesha, WI to Wauwatosa, WI
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
23m
Distance
13.5 mi
22 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 21m
★
6 AM
0h 23m
8 AM
0h 27m
10 AM
0h 25m
12 PM
0h 24m
3 PM
0h 25m
5 PM
0h 27m
8 PM
0h 22m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Waukesha, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Wauwatosa, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Waukesha, WI to Wauwatosa, WI covers 13.5 miles and takes about 23m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on East-West Freeway, West Main Street, East Moreland Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 5.6 miles on East-West Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.11 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| East-West Freeway | 5.6 mi | 6m |
| West Main Street | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| East Moreland Boulevard | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| West Watertown Plank Road | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Zoo Freeway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Les Paul Parkway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Harwood Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Harmonee Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
East-West Freeway
— 5.6 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Waukesha, WI and Wauwatosa, 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 right at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Exit 305B
Toward I 41 North, US 45 North: Fond du Lac
Use the slight right lane.
9
Merge onto I 41; US 41; US 45
0.5 mi
·
44 sec
·
Zoo Freeway
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
Exit 40A-B
Toward Watertown Plank Road
Use the slight right lane.
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
Exit 40A
Toward Watertown Plank Road East
Use the right lane.
12
Turn straight onto West Watertown Plank Road
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
West Watertown Plank Road
Use the left lane.
13
Continue on Harwood Avenue
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
Harwood Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
14
Turn left onto WI 181
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
Harmonee Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
15
Turn right onto West Menomonee River Parkway
498 ft
·
21 sec
·
West Menomonee River Parkway
16
Arrive at destination
West State Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 9.8 and 13.2 — 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
9
10.4 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 41 North, US 45 North: Fond du Lac
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 305B
Toward I 41 North, US 45 North: Fond du Lac
7
11.7 mi into trip
|
~18m 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
11.9 mi into trip
|
~19m 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
13.2 mi into trip
|
~22m 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
$2.11 one way
$4.22 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.32 | $4.63 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.60 | $5.20 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.98 | $5.96 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.1 | 0 | $1.42 | $0.65 |
| Efficient EV | 3.4 | 0 | $1.18 | $0.54 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.4 | 0 | $1.89 | $0.86 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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 Sunday
Local time
11:34 AM
CDT
Current temp
47°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
22 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
23m 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?
13.5 mi in 23m — 49% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: East-West Freeway.
49% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.6 mi on East-West Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 9.8 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
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 13.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 23m.
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 11.7 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 Waukesha, WI and Wauwatosa, WI, road signs point toward Fond Du Lac and Watertown Plank Road East.
Fond Du Lac
9.8 mi in
|
~15m
Watertown Plank Road East
11.9 mi in
|
~19m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 23m. Total distance: 13.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
23m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (49%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.6 miles on East-West 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 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 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 11.7 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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