Trip from City of Janesville, WI to Clinton, WI

Drive Time

25m

Distance

18.1 mi

29 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 23m ★
6 AM
0h 25m
8 AM
0h 30m
10 AM
0h 27m
12 PM
0h 26m
3 PM
0h 27m
5 PM
0h 29m
8 PM
0h 24m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown City of Janesville, WI, WI

City of Janesville, WI

Tom Fisk

Downtown Clinton, WI, WI

Clinton, WI

Tom Fisk

Trip Overview

If you are looking for a quick, straightforward connection in the Midwest, the 18.1-mile trek from Janesville to Clinton is a breeze. Covering the distance takes roughly 25 minutes, making it an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stay. You will navigate a mix of roads, primarily utilizing WI 11, CTH X, and East Racine Street to complete your journey. Budgeting about $3 for fuel should keep you covered for the entire trip. Because this route is so short, it offers excellent flexibility, allowing you to head out whenever your schedule permits. It is a practical, no-fuss drive that gets you from point A to point B efficiently.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

0 planned breaks

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

9 miles from City of Janesville, WI

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 12m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a varied experience as you transition through the 18.1-mile span of this mixed-drive route. While the journey is short, approximately 54% of your time will be spent on highways, providing a steady pace for the majority of the trip. The longest uninterrupted stretch you will encounter is a 9.2-mile segment on WI 11, which offers the most consistent driving conditions. As you move between the local streets and the highway, the personality of the road shifts from urban thoroughfare to a more open, rural feel. You will find that the transitions between these road types are relatively seamless, keeping the drive engaging without being overly technical.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
WI 11 is the longest continuous segment at about 9.2 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in near South Randall Avenue.

Route Complexity 6/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 18.1 miles you will encounter 11 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 0.6 miles (South Randall Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.2 miles (WI 11): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 11 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

4
0.6 mi into trip | ~1m in | South Randall Avenue

Turn right onto South Randall Avenue

Navigation decision point

7
2.2 mi into trip | ~4m in | WI 11

Enter roundabout onto WI 11 toward I-90 EAST, I-39 SOUTH, WI-11 WEST

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I-90 EAST, I-39 SOUTH, WI-11 WEST
5
13.2 mi into trip | ~17m in

Take the exit toward CTH X: Hart Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Exit 2 Toward CTH X: Hart Road
5
13.4 mi into trip | ~18m in

Keep slight right at fork

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

5
13.6 mi into trip | ~18m in | CTH X

Enter roundabout onto CTH X

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
WI 11 9.2 mi 9m
CTH X 4.5 mi 7m
East Racine Street 1.1 mi 2m
I 43 0.6 mi <1m
South Randall Avenue 0.5 mi 1m
Ruger Avenue 0.5 mi 1m
East Court Street 0.1 mi <1m
East Hart Road <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: WI 11 — 9.2 mi, about 9m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between City of Janesville, WI and Clinton, WI.

1

Start on East Court Street

0.1 mi · 21 sec · East Court Street
2

Turn right onto CTH MM

0.5 mi · 1 min · Ruger Avenue
3

Turn right onto South Randall Avenue

0.5 mi · 1 min · South Randall Avenue
4

Turn left onto East Racine Street

1.0 mi · 1 min · East Racine Street
5

Continue on East Racine Street

445 ft · 8 sec · East Racine Street
6

Enter roundabout onto WI 11

16 ft · 0 sec · WI 11
Toward I-90 EAST, I-39 SOUTH, WI-11 WEST
7

Continue on WI 11

9.2 mi · 9 min · WI 11
Toward I-90 EAST, I-39 SOUTH, WI-11 WEST
8

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 15 sec
9

Keep slight left at fork

1.1 mi · 1 min
10

Continue on I 43

0.6 mi · 35 sec · I 43
11

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 35 sec
Exit 2 Toward CTH X: Hart Road
12

Keep slight right at fork

209 ft · 5 sec
13

Turn right onto CTH X

351 ft · 6 sec · East Hart Road
14

Enter roundabout onto CTH X

168 ft · 3 sec · CTH X
15

Continue on CTH X

4.5 mi · 7 min · CTH X
16

Arrive at destination

CTH J; CTH X

Trip Plan

Since this is a quick 25-minute drive, you have the advantage of total departure flexibility, though mid-morning or mid-afternoon hours generally offer the clearest traffic flow. You won't need to plan for any scheduled stops given the short duration of the trip, but it is always wise to ensure your tank is topped off before leaving Janesville. Keep an eye on your speed as you transition from the highway segments onto CTH X and East Racine Street, where road conditions can change quickly. Because the entire route is under 20 miles, you can easily turn this into a round trip without feeling fatigued. Treat this as a simple, efficient transit rather than a long-haul excursion.

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 9 miles from City of Janesville, WI, or about 12m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 9.2 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 18.1 miles or 25m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 9 miles or 12m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 21m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Clinton, WI than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving City of Janesville, WI so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from City of Janesville, WI

This is one driving day of about 18.1 miles and 25m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from City of Janesville, WI.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.
The longest stretch is on WI 11 for about 9.2 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 9 mi from City of Janesville, WI · 12m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Rockford, IL

9 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

Rockford, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 18.1 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Rockford, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 9 miles from City of Janesville, WI, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Clinton, WI

The final approach into Clinton, WI usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Clinton, WI.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.75 one way

$5.50 round trip

$3.86/gal 25.4 MPG avg 6 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.25 $3.03 $6.06
premium $4.80 $3.42 $6.83
diesel $5.64 $4.02 $8.04

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$3

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$28–$53

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.4 0 $1.90 $0.87
Efficient EV 4.5 0 $1.58 $0.72
EV Truck/SUV 7.2 0 $2.53 $1.16

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.

Forecast data refreshed 2 days ago

Origin

City of Janesville, WI

Afternoon in City of Janesville on Sunday

Local time

3:08 PM

CDT

Current temp

48°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Clinton, WI

Afternoon in Clinton on Sunday

Local time

3:08 PM

CDT

Current temp

47°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

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

25m 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 City of Janesville, WI to Clinton, WI covers 18.1 miles and takes about 25m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are WI 11, CTH X, East Racine Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 9 miles from City of Janesville, WI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.75 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 18.1 miles you will encounter 11 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (South Randall Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.2 miles (WI 11): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
The route from City of Janesville, WI to Clinton, WI does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

Was this route helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Return Trip

Clinton, WI to City of Janesville, WI

Plan the drive back the other way.

15.5 mi 26m

Explore more options from City of Janesville, WI or browse trips ending in Clinton, WI.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse WI road trips.

Explore maps for City of Janesville, WI or Clinton, WI on MapSof.net.