Origin
West Salem, WI
Late night in West Salem on Sunday
Local time
3:07 AM
CDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from West Salem, WI to La Crosse, WI
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
24m
Distance
12.7 mi
21 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 22m
★
6 AM
0h 24m
8 AM
0h 28m
10 AM
0h 26m
12 PM
0h 25m
3 PM
0h 26m
5 PM
0h 28m
8 PM
0h 23m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
West Salem, WI
Wikimedia Commons
La Crosse, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a quick excursion between West Salem and La Crosse, you are looking at an easy 12.7-mile trip. Expect to spend about 24 minutes behind the wheel, making this a perfect candidate for a single-day journey that requires no overnight stops. With a fuel cost estimate of just $2, it is an incredibly budget-friendly way to navigate this corner of the Midwest. You will primarily utilize WI 16, 16th Street South, and Main Street to complete the transit. Since the drive is short, you have plenty of flexibility to plan your departure time around your own schedule. It is a straightforward, practical route that connects two familiar communities in Wisconsin without any unnecessary complexity.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| WI 16 | 9.9 mi | 16m |
| 16th Street South | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| Main Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| West Garland Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Losey Boulevard North | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Johnson Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| West Avenue South | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| North Leonard Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
WI 16
— 9.9 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between West Salem, WI and La Crosse, WI.
1
Start on CTH C
30 ft
·
3 sec
·
North Leonard Street
2
Turn right onto West Garland Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Garland Street
3
Turn left onto WI 16
9.9 mi
·
16 min
·
WI 16
4
Continue on Losey Boulevard North
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Losey Boulevard North
5
Turn right onto CTH F
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
6
Turn left onto 16th Street South
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
16th Street South
7
Turn right onto Johnson Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Johnson Street
8
At end of road, turn right onto WI 35
326 ft
·
11 sec
·
West Avenue South
9
Arrive at destination
WI 35
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 55 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 12.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West Garland Street
Turn right onto West Garland Street
Navigation decision point
4
10.9 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
CTH F / Main Street
Turn right onto CTH F / Main Street
Navigation decision point
3
11.6 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
16th Street South
Turn left onto 16th Street South
Navigation decision point
4
12.3 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
Johnson Street
Turn right onto Johnson Street
Navigation decision point
5
12.7 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
WI 35 / West Avenue South
At end of road, turn right onto WI 35 / West Avenue South
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.99 one way
$3.97 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.18 | $4.36 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.44 | $4.89 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.80 | $5.61 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.8 | 0 | $1.33 | $0.61 |
| Efficient EV | 3.2 | 0 | $1.11 | $0.51 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.78 | $0.81 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
La Crosse, WI
Late night in La Crosse on Sunday
Local time
3:07 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
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
24m 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 drive is defined by a highway-focused profile, with 78% of your journey spent on faster thoroughfares. You will spend the bulk of your time on WI 16, which accounts for the longest stretch of 9.9 miles of uninterrupted driving. As you transition from the highway onto 16th Street South and Main Street, the pace shifts from a consistent flow to a more urban feel. The road personality remains functional and direct, providing a reliable path rather than a winding recreational path. You can expect a steady, predictable experience behind the wheel as you move between these two Wisconsin locations.
78% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
9 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.9 mi on WI 16.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on WI 16 and 16th Street South. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West Garland Street.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 24m drive. You will face about 5 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 Garland Street): Navigation decision point; at 10.9 miles (CTH F / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 11.6 miles (16th Street South): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Arriving in La Crosse, WI
Full guide →La Crosse is a city in the Coulee Region of Southwest Wisconsin on the Mississippi River. It is the county seat of La Crosse County. It's nestled between the river and picturesque bluffs that rise behind it. With a city population of around 50,000 and the metropolitan area just under 100,000, La Crosse offers visitors plenty of activities to do and sights to see, without the overwhelming hustle and bustle of bigger cities.
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 24m. Total distance: 12.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (78%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 9.9 miles on WI 16. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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: near the start (West Garland Street): Navigation decision point; at 10.9 miles (CTH F / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 11.6 miles (16th Street South): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at La Crosse, 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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