Origin
Cudahy, WI
Evening in Cudahy on Thursday
Local time
8:46 PM
CDT
Current temp
45°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Cudahy, WI to Milwaukee, WI
Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026
Drive Time
12m
Distance
6.5 mi
10 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 12m
★
6 AM
0h 13m
8 AM
0h 15m
10 AM
0h 14m
12 PM
0h 13m
3 PM
0h 14m
5 PM
0h 15m
8 PM
0h 12m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Cudahy, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Milwaukee, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This quick 6.5-mile drive from Cudahy, WI, to Milwaukee, WI, is easily manageable in about 12 minutes, making it perfect for a single-day trip. You'll mainly travel on John R. Plewa Memorial Lake Parkway and Lake Freeway, with a portion on South Kinnickinnic Avenue. With a low estimated fuel cost of just $1, this route is budget-friendly. Since it's a short hop within the Midwest and the same state of Wisconsin, it's ideal for a quick transfer or a short excursion. You won't need an overnight stay for this journey.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
This 6.5-mile drive is an absolute breeze for a weekend trip, easily doable as a quick same-day round trip with minimal time commitment.
Family Friendly
With only a 12-minute drive and simple navigation, this route is perfectly manageable for families with kids, requiring no stops.
Solo Traveler
This 6.5-mile drive is incredibly comfortable for a solo traveler, offering a very short and straightforward journey.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
This 6.5-mile drive is ideal for a first-time driver, featuring mostly highway driving (67%) and a very low complexity score of 4/10.
Drive Character
This drive is primarily highway-focused, with 67% of the journey on higher-speed roads. You'll experience a longest uninterrupted stretch of 2.3 miles on John R. Plewa Memorial Lake Parkway, offering a consistent pace. The transition between John R. Plewa Memorial Lake Parkway and Lake Freeway provides a typical highway driving experience. While not overly complex, the route maintains a steady flow suitable for efficient travel, blending parkway and freeway sections.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 11 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
John R. Plewa Memorial Lake Parkway is the longest continuous segment at about 2.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on John R. Plewa Memorial Lake Parkway and Lake Freeway. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near South Kingan Avenue.
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 12m 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 (South Kingan Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (East Plankinton Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.3 miles (East Howard Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
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
|
South Kingan Avenue
Turn right onto South Kingan Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East Plankinton Avenue
Turn left onto East Plankinton Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
1.3 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
East Howard Avenue
Turn left onto East Howard Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
6.1 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the exit toward Milwaukee Street, Downtown
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 1E
Toward Milwaukee Street, Downtown
6
6.3 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
WI 32 / North Milwaukee Street
Turn right onto WI 32 / North Milwaukee Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right / uturn lanes.
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 Cudahy, WI to Milwaukee, WI, road signs begin pointing toward Downtown along the way.
Downtown
6.1 mi in
|
~11m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| John R. Plewa Memorial Lake Parkway | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| Lake Freeway | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| South Kinnickinnic Avenue | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| East Howard Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| North Milwaukee Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Plankinton Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| South Kingan Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
John R. Plewa Memorial Lake Parkway
— 2.3 mi, about 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cudahy, WI and Milwaukee, WI.
1
Start on this road
303 ft
·
24 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto South Kingan Avenue
167 ft
·
12 sec
·
South Kingan Avenue
3
Turn left onto East Plankinton Avenue
463 ft
·
12 sec
·
East Plankinton Avenue
4
Continue on South Kinnickinnic Avenue
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
South Kinnickinnic Avenue
5
Turn left onto East Howard Avenue
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
East Howard Avenue
Use the left lane.
6
Turn slight right
0.2 mi
·
45 sec
Use the right lane.
7
Turn straight onto WI 794
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
John R. Plewa Memorial Lake Parkway
8
Continue on I 794
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Lake Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 1E
Toward Milwaukee Street, Downtown
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
10
Turn right onto WI 32
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
North Milwaukee Street
Use the slight left / slight right / uturn lanes.
11
Arrive at destination
US 18; WI 32
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.02 one way
$2.03 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
2 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $1.12 | $2.23 |
| premium | $4.89 | $1.25 | $2.50 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.44 | $2.87 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 50% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2 | 0 | $0.68 | $0.31 |
| Efficient EV | 1.6 | 0 | $0.57 | $0.26 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 2.6 | 0 | $0.91 | $0.42 |
Gas CO2
2 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (50% 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
Milwaukee, WI
Evening in Milwaukee on Thursday
Local time
8:46 PM
CDT
Current temp
46°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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
12m 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 Cudahy, WI to Milwaukee, WI covers 6.5 miles and takes about 12m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are John R. Plewa Memorial Lake Parkway, Lake Freeway, South Kinnickinnic Avenue. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 3.2 miles from Cudahy, WI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.02 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 12m 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 (South Kingan Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (East Plankinton Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.3 miles (East Howard Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Cudahy, WI to Milwaukee, WI, road signs begin pointing toward Downtown along the way.
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