Skip to main content
Trip.ovh Logo
Trip.ovh

Trip from Eau Claire, WI to Alma, WI

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 12m

Distance

47.2 mi

76 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 7m ★
6 AM
1h 13m
8 AM
1h 24m
10 AM
1h 17m
12 PM
1h 16m
3 PM
1h 17m
5 PM
1h 24m
8 PM
1h 9m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
city in Eau Claire and Chippewa counties in Wisconsin, United States, that is the county seat of Eau Claire County

Eau Claire, WI

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Alma, WI, WI

Alma, WI

Tom Fisk

Trip Overview

The drive from Eau Claire, WI to Alma, WI covers 47.2 miles and takes about 1h 12m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on State Road 37, State Highway 37, State Road 35 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 35.8 miles on State Road 37. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.38 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 12m. Total distance: 47.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 12m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (10%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 1h 12m drive with frequent turns across 47.2 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 19 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
State Road 37 is the longest continuous segment at about 35.8 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near South Farwell Street.

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 47.2 miles you will encounter 8 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 (South Farwell Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles (East Lexington Boulevard): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 1.6 miles (Patton Street): Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 8 key points

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

4
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | South Farwell Street

Turn right onto South Farwell Street

Navigation decision point

4
1.5 mi into trip | ~3m in | East Lexington Boulevard

Enter roundabout onto East Lexington Boulevard

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

7
1.6 mi into trip | ~3m in | Patton Street

Turn left onto Patton Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
4
1.7 mi into trip | ~4m in | US 12 / East Clairemont Avenue

Turn left onto US 12 / East Clairemont Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
4
2.7 mi into trip | ~6m in | WI 37 / State Highway 37

Turn left onto WI 37 / State Highway 37

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.

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 Eau Claire, WI to Alma, WI, road signs begin pointing toward Wis 37 along the way.

Wis 37

2.6 mi in | ~5m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
State Road 37 35.8 mi 51m
State Highway 37 3.9 mi 6m
State Road 35 1.3 mi 1m
West Riverside Avenue 1.1 mi 2m
East Clairemont Avenue 0.9 mi 1m
East Main Street 0.8 mi 2m
State Street 0.8 mi 1m
North Main Street 0.7 mi 1m
Longest stretch: State Road 37 — 35.8 mi, about 51m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Eau Claire, WI and Alma, WI.

1

Start on East Grand Avenue

35 ft · 5 sec · East Grand Avenue
2

Turn right onto South Farwell Street

0.6 mi · 1 min · South Farwell Street
3

Turn right onto Washington Street

0.2 mi · 17 sec · Washington Street
4

Continue on State Street

0.8 mi · 1 min · State Street
5

Enter roundabout onto East Lexington Boulevard

142 ft · 8 sec · East Lexington Boulevard
6

Continue on East Lexington Boulevard

383 ft · 16 sec · East Lexington Boulevard
7

Turn left onto Patton Street

426 ft · 13 sec · Patton Street
Use the left lane.
8

Turn left onto US 12

0.9 mi · 1 min · East Clairemont Avenue
Use the straight lane.
9

Turn slight left

0.1 mi · 23 sec
Toward WIS 37
10

Turn left onto WI 37

3.9 mi · 6 min · State Highway 37
Use the straight lane.
11

Continue on WI 37

15 mi · 20 min · State Road 37
Use the straight lane.
12

Continue on WI 37

0.6 mi · 58 sec · North State Highway 37
13

Turn right onto US 10; WI 37

0.8 mi · 2 min · East Main Street
14

Turn left onto WI 37; H

0.2 mi · 21 sec · South Eau Claire Street
15

Turn right onto WI 37

1.1 mi · 2 min · West Riverside Avenue
16

Continue on WI 37

21 mi · 31 min · State Road 37
17

At end of road, turn left onto WI 35

1.3 mi · 1 min · State Road 35
18

Continue on WI 35

0.7 mi · 1 min · North Main Street
19

Arrive at destination

WI 35

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 23.6 mi from Eau Claire, WI · 37m into the drive

Downtown Caryville, WI, WI

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Caryville, WI

24 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

Caryville, WI

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Caryville, WI

Meal break

The midpoint is around 23.6 miles from Eau Claire, WI, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Alma, WI

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

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.38 one way

$14.76 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 17 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $8.10 $16.20
premium $4.89 $9.08 $18.17
diesel $5.61 $10.42 $20.84

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 16.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 14.2 0 $4.96 $2.27
Efficient EV 11.8 0 $4.13 $1.89
EV Truck/SUV 18.9 0 $6.61 $3.02

Gas CO2

17 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (65% 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 as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Eau Claire, WI

Morning in Eau Claire on Friday

Local time

8:45 AM

CDT

Current temp

75°F

Sunny

S 10 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 16 at 4:45PM CDT until April 19 at 1:27AM CDT by NWS La Crosse WI

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued April 16 at 3:11PM CDT until April 18 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Destination

Alma, WI

Morning in Alma on Friday

Local time

8:45 AM

CDT

Current temp

68°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

53°F

Caryville, WI

24 mi in

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

7 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

1h 12m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Eau Claire, WI to Alma, WI covers 47.2 miles and takes about 1h 12m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are State Road 37, State Highway 37, State Road 35. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 23.6 miles from Eau Claire, WI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $7.38 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 47.2 miles you will encounter 8 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: near the start (South Farwell Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles (East Lexington Boulevard): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 1.6 miles (Patton Street): Lane positioning matters here.

On the drive from Eau Claire, WI to Alma, WI, road signs begin pointing toward Wis 37 along the way.

How this page is built

Compiled by the Trip.ovh 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.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Continue From Alma, WI

Menomonee Falls, WI 256 mi · 5h

More from Eau Claire, WI

Silver Lake, WI 264 mi · 5h Bohners Lake, WI 256.6 mi · 4h 54m Milwaukee, WI 246.2 mi · 4h 32m Butler, WI 240.4 mi · 4h 29m Clinton, WI 227.2 mi · 4h 10m Richfield, WI 220.7 mi · 4h 34m

More trips to Alma, WI

City of Janesville, WI 223.4 mi La Crosse, WI 55.2 mi
Weekend drives from Eau Claire, WI Scenic drives in WI

Explore more options from Eau Claire, WI or browse trips ending in Alma, WI.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse WI road trips.