Origin
Wauwatosa, WI
Evening in Wauwatosa on Friday
Local time
8:13 PM
CDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Wauwatosa, WI to Monona, WI
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 27m
Distance
73.4 mi
118 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 21m
★
6 AM
1h 27m
8 AM
1h 41m
10 AM
1h 32m
12 PM
1h 31m
3 PM
1h 33m
5 PM
1h 40m
8 PM
1h 23m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Wauwatosa, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Monona, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Wauwatosa, WI to Monona, WI covers 73.4 miles and takes about 1h 27m 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, North Stoughton Road, WI 30 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 64.3 miles on East-West Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $11.38 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| East-West Freeway | 64.3 mi | 1h 10m |
| North Stoughton Road | 3.1 mi | 4m |
| WI 30 | 1.6 mi | 1m |
| North Glenview Avenue | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Pflaum Road | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Nichols Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| South 84th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Harmonee Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
East-West Freeway
— 64.3 mi, about 1h 10m
Traffic on I-94
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 140 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~3,390 veh/hr typical · worst 3,998
Quietest
2 AM
~169 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
20.1×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 104 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Wauwatosa, WI and Monona, WI.
1
Start on West State Street
137 ft
·
6 sec
·
West State Street
2
Continue on West Menomonee River Parkway
360 ft
·
22 sec
·
West Menomonee River Parkway
3
Turn left onto WI 181
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
Harmonee Avenue
Use the left lane.
4
Turn slight right onto WI 181
520 ft
·
15 sec
·
Harwood Avenue
5
Turn left onto WI 181
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
North Glenview Avenue
Use the left lane.
6
Continue on WI 181
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
South 84th Street
7
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Toward I 94 West
8
Keep slight right at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 94 West: Madison
9
Merge onto I 94
11 mi
·
12 min
·
East-West Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 94
54 mi
·
57 min
·
East-West Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork onto WI 30
1.6 mi
·
1 min
·
WI 30
Exit 240
Toward I 39 South, I 90 East, WI 30 West: Janesville, Madison
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 1C
Toward US 51, I 39 Alternate, I 94 Alternate: Stoughton Road
Use the slight right lane.
13
Keep slight left at fork
476 ft
·
13 sec
14
Turn left onto US 51
3.1 mi
·
4 min
·
North Stoughton Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
15
Turn right onto Pflaum Road
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Pflaum Road
16
Continue on Nichols Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Nichols Road
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
17
Arrive at destination
Nichols Road
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
37 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 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 36.7 miles from Wauwatosa, WI, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before East-West Freeway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 64.3 miles.
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 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 68.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
WI 181 / Harmonee Avenue
Turn left onto WI 181 / Harmonee Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
WI 181 / North Glenview Avenue
Turn left onto WI 181 / North Glenview Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
13.5 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
I 94 / East-West Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 94 / East-West Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
67 mi into trip
|
~1h 16m in
|
WI 30
Keep slight left at fork onto WI 30 toward I 39 South, I 90 East, WI 30 West: Janesville, Madison
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 240
Toward I 39 South, I 90 East, WI 30 West: Janes...
8
68.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 18m in
Take the exit toward US 51, I 39 Alternate, I 94 Alternate: Stoughton Road
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 1C
Toward US 51, I 39 Alternate, I 94 Alternate: S...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.38 one way
$22.76 round trip
$3.94/gal
25.4 MPG avg
26 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $12.48 | $24.96 |
| premium | $4.93 | $14.24 | $28.48 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $16.18 | $32.36 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 25.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 22 | 0 | $7.71 | $3.52 |
| Efficient EV | 18.4 | 0 | $6.42 | $2.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 29.4 | 0 | $10.28 | $4.70 |
Gas CO2
26 kg
EV CO2
9 kg (65% 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
Monona, WI
Evening in Monona on Friday
Local time
8:13 PM
CDT
Current temp
80°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
56°F
Concord, WI
37 mi in
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
20 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
1h 27m 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?
73.4 mi in 1h 27m, mostly highway — 64.3 mi of that is on East-West Freeway.
90% 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: 64.3 mi on East-West Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on East-West Freeway and North Stoughton Road. 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 WI 181 / Harmonee Avenue.
Driving Effort
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 73.4 miles you will encounter 10 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 0.1 miles (WI 181 / Harmonee Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles (WI 181 / North Glenview Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 13.5 miles (I 94 / East-West Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
966 ft
662 ft
Total Climb
455 ft
Total Descent
237 ft
Highest Point
966 ft
~21 mi in
Elevation Range
305 ft
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.
On the drive from Wauwatosa, WI to Monona, WI, road signs begin pointing toward Madison along the way.
Madison
67 mi in
|
~1h 16m
|
via WI 30
About the Cities
Starting in Wauwatosa, WI
Full guide →Wauwatosa is in Southeast Wisconsin.
Top landmarks
- • Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church — church building in Wauwatosa, United States of America
- • Lowell Damon House — historic house in Wisconsin, United States
- • Thomas B. Hart House — historic house in Wisconsin, United States
Arriving in Monona, WI
Full guide →Founded 1938
Top landmarks
- • Outlet Mound — archaeological site in Monona, United States of America
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 27m. Total distance: 73.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (90%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 64.3 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 Monona, 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 (WI 181 / Harmonee Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles (WI 181 / North Glenview Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 13.5 miles (I 94 / East-West Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Monona, 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, 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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