Origin
Wind Lake, WI
Morning in Wind Lake on Tuesday
Local time
8:27 AM
CDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Wind Lake, WI to Menomonee Falls, WI
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
47m
Distance
31.1 mi
50 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 43m
★
6 AM
0h 47m
8 AM
0h 55m
10 AM
0h 50m
12 PM
0h 49m
3 PM
0h 50m
5 PM
0h 55m
8 PM
0h 45m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Wind Lake, WI
Tom Fisk
Menomonee Falls, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 31.1-mile drive from Wind Lake to Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, is a straightforward trip that should take about 47 minutes to complete. With a highway share of 61%, you'll spend a good portion of your time on faster roads, making it an ideal day trip with no need for an overnight stay. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is around $5, which is quite budget-friendly. As both your origin and destination are in the Midwest, you'll be traversing familiar regional landscapes. This route offers a practical and efficient way to get from point A to point B without much fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Zoo Freeway | 16.4 mi | 21m |
| Loomis Road | 6 mi | 8m |
| South Lovers Lane Road | 4.4 mi | 8m |
| State Highway 36 | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| US 45 | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Main Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Pilgrim Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Rock Freeway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Zoo Freeway
— 16.4 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Wind Lake, WI and Menomonee Falls, WI.
1
Start on CTH Y
15 ft
·
0 sec
·
Oak Ridge Drive
2
Enter roundabout onto CTH Y
272 ft
·
6 sec
·
Oak Ridge Drive
3
Continue on CTH Y
342 ft
·
6 sec
·
Oak Ridge Drive
4
Continue on CTH Y
438 ft
·
14 sec
·
West Loomis Road
5
Turn left onto WI 36
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
State Highway 36
6
Continue on WI 36
6.0 mi
·
8 min
·
Loomis Road
7
Continue on US 45
448 ft
·
19 sec
·
US 45
8
Turn left onto US 45; WI 100
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
West Saint Martins Road
9
Continue on US 45; WI 100
4.4 mi
·
8 min
·
South Lovers Lane Road
10
Take the ramp onto US 45
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
·
US 45
Toward I 43 North, US 45 North
11
Merge onto I 43; US 45
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
Rock Freeway
12
Take the exit onto US 45
0.6 mi
·
55 sec
·
US 45
Exit 61
Toward I 41 North, US 45 North, I 894 West: Fond du Lac, Madison
13
Merge onto I 41; I 894; US 41; US 45
16 mi
·
21 min
·
Zoo Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
14
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
52 sec
Exit 51B
Toward Pilgrim Road South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Turn straight onto Pilgrim Road
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
·
Pilgrim Road
16
Turn right onto Main Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
17
Turn right onto WI 175
21 ft
·
0 sec
·
Appleton Avenue
18
Arrive at destination
WI 175
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
16 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 31 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 15.5 miles from Wind Lake, 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 95 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 29.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CTH Y / Oak Ridge Drive
Enter roundabout onto CTH Y / Oak Ridge Drive
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
4
7.6 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
US 45; WI 100 / West Saint Martins Road
Turn left onto US 45; WI 100 / West Saint Martins Road
Navigation decision point
6
12.8 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
US 45
Take the exit onto US 45 toward I 41 North, US 45 North, I 894 West: Fond du Lac, Madison
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 61
Toward I 41 North, US 45 North, I 894 West: Fon...
5
13.4 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
I 41; I 894; US 41; US 45 / Zoo Freeway
Merge onto I 41; I 894; US 41; US 45 / Zoo Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
7
29.8 mi into trip
|
~43m in
Take the exit toward Pilgrim Road South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 51B
Toward Pilgrim Road South
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.86 one way
$9.72 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.34 | $10.68 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.98 | $11.97 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.87 | $13.73 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.3 | 0 | $3.27 | $1.49 |
| Efficient EV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.72 | $1.24 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.4 | 0 | $4.35 | $1.99 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Menomonee Falls, WI
Morning in Menomonee Falls on Tuesday
Local time
8:27 AM
CDT
Current temp
59°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
47m 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?
Expect a highway-focused drive for this trip, with 61% of the route utilizing faster roads. You'll experience a significant uninterrupted stretch of 16.4 miles on the Zoo Freeway, offering a chance to settle into a rhythm. The journey incorporates Loomis Road and South Lovers Lane Road, which may introduce some local road driving after the main highway segments. Overall, the drive is characterized by its efficiency, prioritizing direct travel over winding scenic paths.
61% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.4 mi on Zoo Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Zoo Freeway and Loomis Road. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near CTH Y / Oak Ridge Drive.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 31.1 miles you will encounter 9 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: near the start (CTH Y / Oak Ridge Drive): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 7.6 miles (US 45; WI 100 / West Saint Martins Road): Navigation decision point; at 12.8 miles (US 45): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
859 ft
722 ft
Total Climb
160 ft
Total Descent
99 ft
Highest Point
859 ft
~31.1 mi in
Elevation Range
137 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 Wind Lake, WI to Menomonee Falls, WI, road signs begin pointing toward Madison along the way.
Madison
12.8 mi in
|
~21m
|
via US 45
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 47m. Total distance: 31.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
47m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (61%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16.4 miles on Zoo Freeway. 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 (CTH Y / Oak Ridge Drive): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 7.6 miles (US 45; WI 100 / West Saint Martins Road): Navigation decision point; at 12.8 miles (US 45): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Menomonee Falls, 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, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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