Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
25.5 mi
41 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Wauwatosa, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Grafton, WI
Tom Fisk
The drive from Wauwatosa, WI to Grafton, WI covers 25.5 miles and takes about 40m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on North-South Freeway, West State Street, Washington Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 18.8 miles on North-South Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.95 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North-South Freeway | 18.8 mi | 23m |
| West State Street | 3.2 mi | 8m |
| Washington Street | 1.8 mi | 4m |
| West Highland Avenue | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| North 27th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 39 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
7 AM
~4,158 veh/hr typical · worst 4,975
Quietest
2 AM
~275 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
15.1×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 102 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Wauwatosa, WI and Grafton, WI.
Start on West State Street
Turn left onto WI 57
Turn right onto US 18; WI 57
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 43
Take the exit
Turn left onto WI 60
Turn left
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 23.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Depart onto West State Street
Lane positioning matters here
Take the ramp toward I 43 North
Lane positioning matters here
Merge onto I 43 / North-South Freeway toward I 43 North: Green Bay
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward WI 60, CTH Q: Grafton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Turn left onto WI 60 / Washington Street
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$3.95 one way
$7.91 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $4.34 | $8.67 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.95 | $9.89 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $5.62 | $11.24 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.68 | $1.22 |
| Efficient EV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.23 | $1.02 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.2 | 0 | $3.57 | $1.63 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Evening in Wauwatosa on Friday
Local time
5:59 PM
CDT
Current temp
83°F
Mostly Sunny
Destination
Evening in Grafton on Friday
Local time
5:59 PM
CDT
Current temp
80°F
Mostly Sunny
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
25.5 mi in 40m, mostly highway — 18.8 mi of that is on North-South Freeway.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on North-South Freeway and West State Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West State Street.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 40m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West State Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.7 miles (I 43 / North-South Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
246 ft
Total Descent
151 ft
Highest Point
757 ft
~25.5 mi in
Elevation Range
135 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Wauwatosa, WI to Grafton, WI, road signs begin pointing toward Cth Q: Grafton along the way.
Cth Q: Grafton
Wauwatosa is in Southeast Wisconsin.
Top landmarks
Grafton is a village in Southeast Wisconsin.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 40m. Total distance: 25.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (74%). Straightforward navigation.
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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