Origin
Wauwatosa, WI
Morning in Wauwatosa on Friday
Local time
6:25 AM
CDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Wauwatosa, WI to Richmond, WI
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 13m
Distance
52.8 mi
85 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 8m
★
6 AM
1h 14m
8 AM
1h 25m
10 AM
1h 18m
12 PM
1h 17m
3 PM
1h 18m
5 PM
1h 25m
8 PM
1h 10m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Wauwatosa, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Richmond, WI
Kelly
Trip Overview
The drive from Wauwatosa, WI to Richmond, WI covers 52.8 miles and takes about 1h 13m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 45, State Highway 20, Zoo Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 22.3 miles on US 45. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.19 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 45 | 22.3 mi | 24m |
| State Highway 20 | 7.4 mi | 10m |
| Zoo Freeway | 4.4 mi | 5m |
| Iron Brigade Memorial Highway | 4 mi | 5m |
| County Highway A | 3.8 mi | 5m |
| County Highway P | 3.4 mi | 5m |
| North Street | 2 mi | 4m |
| Kettle Moraine Drive | 1.8 mi | 3m |
Longest stretch:
US 45
— 22.3 mi, about 24m
Traffic on I-41
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 26 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~6,782 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~397 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
17.1×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 97 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 Richmond, 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
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
North Glenview Avenue
Use the left lane.
6
Turn right onto US 18
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
West Bluemound Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
Turn left
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
Toward I 41 South, US 45 South
Use the left lane.
8
Merge onto I 41; US 41; US 45
4.4 mi
·
5 min
·
Zoo Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit onto US 45
22 mi
·
24 min
·
US 45
Exit 4
Toward I 43 South, US 45 South: Beloit
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 38
Toward WI 20: East Troy
Use the slight right lane.
11
Keep slight right at fork
191 ft
·
5 sec
12
Turn right onto WI 20
2.0 mi
·
4 min
·
North Street
13
Continue on WI 20
5.9 mi
·
8 min
·
State Highway 20
14
Continue on WI 20
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
State Highway 20
15
Turn right onto US 12
4.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Iron Brigade Memorial Highway
16
Turn left onto CTH O
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
County Highway O
17
Turn right onto Kettle Moraine Drive
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Kettle Moraine Drive
18
Turn left onto CTH P
3.4 mi
·
5 min
·
County Highway P
19
Turn right onto CTH A
3.8 mi
·
5 min
·
County Highway A
20
Turn right onto Church Road
129 ft
·
5 sec
·
Church Road
21
Arrive at destination
Church Road
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
26 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 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 26.4 miles from Wauwatosa, 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 145 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 29.1 — 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.
7
2.1 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Turn left toward I 41 South, US 45 South
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward I 41 South, US 45 South
8
6.9 mi into trip
|
~12m 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. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Exit 4
Toward I 43 South, US 45 South: Beloit
7
29.1 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Take the exit toward WI 20: East Troy
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 38
Toward WI 20: East Troy
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.19 one way
$16.37 round trip
$3.94/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $8.98 | $17.95 |
| premium | $4.93 | $10.24 | $20.49 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $11.64 | $23.28 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.8 | 0 | $5.54 | $2.53 |
| Efficient EV | 13.2 | 0 | $4.62 | $2.11 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21.1 | 0 | $7.39 | $3.38 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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
Richmond, WI
Morning in Richmond on Friday
Local time
6:25 AM
CDT
Current temp
66°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
1 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 13m 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?
52.8 mi in 1h 13m, mostly highway — 22.3 mi of that is on US 45.
65% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 22.3 mi on US 45.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 45 and State Highway 20. 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
7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 52.8 miles you will encounter 14 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 2.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
990 ft
662 ft
Total Climb
566 ft
Total Descent
238 ft
Highest Point
990 ft
~52.8 mi in
Elevation Range
328 ft
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 Richmond, WI
Full guide →Richmond is a town of 1,900 people (2020) in Southeast Wisconsin in central/western Walworth County. The town is home to Lake Lorraine and Turtle Lake.
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 13m. Total distance: 52.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 13m 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 22.3 miles on US 45. 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 Richmond, 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 2.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Richmond, 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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