Origin
Balsam Lake, WI
Afternoon in Balsam Lake on Thursday
Local time
2:02 PM
CDT
Current temp
40°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Balsam Lake, WI to Joel, WI
Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026
Drive Time
30m
Distance
16.7 mi
27 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 28m
★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 35m
10 AM
0h 32m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 35m
8 PM
0h 29m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Balsam Lake, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Joel, WI
Benjamin Dominguez
Trip Overview
The drive from Balsam Lake, WI to Joel, WI covers 16.7 miles and takes about 30m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on East 130th Avenue, County Highway D, 140th Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 6.2 miles on East 130th Avenue. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.61 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 30m. Total distance: 16.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
30m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (10%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 30m drive with frequent turns across 16.7 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 10 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
East 130th Avenue is the longest continuous segment at about 6.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near WI 46; CTH I / West Main Street.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 30m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (WI 46; CTH I / West Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 4.1 miles (US 8; WI 46 / East 130th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.4 miles (US 8 / East 130th Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 6 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
WI 46; CTH I / West Main Street
At end of road, turn right onto WI 46; CTH I / West Main Street
Navigation decision point
6
4.1 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
US 8; WI 46 / East 130th Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto US 8; WI 46 / East 130th Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
4
8.4 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
US 8 / East 130th Avenue
Enter roundabout onto US 8 / East 130th Avenue
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
6
11.9 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
CTH D / 60th Street
Turn right onto CTH D / 60th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
4
12.9 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
CTH D / County Highway D
Turn left onto CTH D / County Highway D
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| East 130th Avenue | 6.2 mi | 8m |
| County Highway D | 3.8 mi | 9m |
| 140th Street | 3.5 mi | 6m |
| US 8 | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| 60th Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| West Main Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Courthouse Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
East 130th Avenue
— 6.2 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Balsam Lake, WI and Joel, WI.
1
Start on Courthouse Avenue
406 ft
·
19 sec
·
Courthouse Avenue
2
At end of road, turn right onto WI 46; CTH I
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
·
West Main Street
3
Continue on WI 46
3.5 mi
·
6 min
·
140th Street
4
At end of road, turn left onto US 8; WI 46
4.4 mi
·
6 min
·
East 130th Avenue
Use the straight lane.
5
Enter roundabout onto US 8
127 ft
·
7 sec
·
East 130th Avenue
6
Continue on US 8
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
East 130th Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
7
Continue on US 8
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
US 8
Use the straight lane.
8
Turn right onto CTH D
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
60th Street
Use the right lane.
9
Turn left onto CTH D
3.8 mi
·
9 min
·
County Highway D
10
Arrive at destination
CTH D
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.61 one way
$5.22 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.87 | $5.73 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.21 | $6.43 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.69 | $7.37 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5 | 0 | $1.75 | $0.80 |
| Efficient EV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.46 | $0.67 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.34 | $1.07 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Joel, WI
Afternoon in Joel on Thursday
Local time
2:02 PM
CDT
Current temp
51°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
11 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
30m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Balsam Lake, WI to Joel, WI covers 16.7 miles and takes about 30m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are East 130th Avenue, County Highway D, 140th Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 8.4 miles from Balsam Lake, WI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.61 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a straightforward 30m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (WI 46; CTH I / West Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 4.1 miles (US 8; WI 46 / East 130th Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.4 miles (US 8 / East 130th Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
The route from Balsam Lake, WI to Joel, WI does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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