Origin
Franklin, WI
Morning in Franklin on Saturday
Local time
7:46 AM
CDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Franklin, WI to Brookfield, WI
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
26m
Distance
15.7 mi
25 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 24m
★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 29m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Franklin, WI
Tom Fisk
Brookfield, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Franklin, WI to Brookfield, WI is 15.7 miles and takes about 26m via Zoo Freeway, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Wisconsin, connecting two points in the Midwest. The drive is a mixed bag, offering a taste of both highway speeds and local road navigation. It's a convenient option for a quick local excursion or a segment of a larger regional journey, easily completed within a single day.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 26m. Total distance: 15.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (52%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This route features a 52% highway share, meaning you'll experience a significant portion on faster-paced roads. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 6.8 miles on Zoo Freeway, offering a period of steady driving. As you progress, the drive transitions from the Zoo Freeway to South Lovers Lane Road and finally West North Avenue, indicating a shift from a more direct highway feel to more local street driving. This mixed drive profile suggests a dynamic journey with varied road conditions.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Zoo Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 6.8 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 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the 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 15.7 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: Navigation decision point; near the start (US 45): Navigation decision point; at 5.3 miles (US 45): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 8 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 45
At end of road, turn right onto US 45
Navigation decision point
6
5.3 mi into trip
|
~10m 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
5.9 mi into trip
|
~11m 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.
5
12.7 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward North Avenue West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 42B
Toward North Avenue West
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Franklin, WI and Brookfield, WI, road signs point toward Madison and Avenue West.
Madison
5.3 mi in
|
~10m
|
via US 45
Avenue West
12.7 mi in
|
~20m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Zoo Freeway | 6.8 mi | 9m |
| South Lovers Lane Road | 4.4 mi | 8m |
| West North Avenue | 2.7 mi | 5m |
| US 45 | 1 mi | 2m |
| Rock Freeway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West Saint Martins Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Zoo Freeway
— 6.8 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Franklin, WI and Brookfield, WI.
1
Start on this road
141 ft
·
11 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right
89 ft
·
8 sec
3
At end of road, turn right onto US 45
384 ft
·
16 sec
·
US 45
4
Turn left onto US 45; WI 100
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
West Saint Martins Road
5
Continue on US 45; WI 100
4.4 mi
·
8 min
·
South Lovers Lane Road
6
Take the ramp onto US 45
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
·
US 45
Toward I 43 North, US 45 North
7
Merge onto I 43; US 45
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
Rock Freeway
8
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
9
Merge onto I 41; I 894; US 41; US 45
6.8 mi
·
9 min
·
Zoo Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
44 sec
Exit 42B
Toward North Avenue West
11
Turn straight onto West North Avenue
2.7 mi
·
5 min
·
West North Avenue
12
Arrive at destination
CTH M
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.45 one way
$4.91 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.69 | $5.39 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.02 | $6.04 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.47 | $6.93 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.7 | 0 | $1.65 | $0.75 |
| Efficient EV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.37 | $0.63 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.3 | 0 | $2.20 | $1.00 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Brookfield, WI
Morning in Brookfield on Saturday
Local time
7:46 AM
CDT
Current temp
68°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
22 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
26m 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 Franklin, WI to Brookfield, WI covers 15.7 miles and takes about 26m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Zoo Freeway, South Lovers Lane Road, West North Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 7.9 miles from Franklin, WI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.45 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 15.7 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: Navigation decision point; near the start (US 45): Navigation decision point; at 5.3 miles (US 45): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Franklin, WI and Brookfield, WI, road signs point toward Madison and Avenue West.
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.
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