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Trip from Franklin, WI to Lake Geneva, WI

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

Drive Time

51m

Distance

33 mi

53 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 47m ★
6 AM
0h 52m
8 AM
1h 0m
10 AM
0h 55m
12 PM
0h 54m
3 PM
0h 55m
5 PM
1h 0m
8 PM
0h 49m

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

Downtown Franklin, WI, WI

Franklin, WI

Tom Fisk

city in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States

Lake Geneva, WI

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Franklin, WI to Lake Geneva, WI covers 33 miles and takes about 51m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on State Highway 36, Milwaukee Avenue, West Loomis Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 13.3 miles on State Highway 36. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.16 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 51m. Total distance: 33 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

51m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (54%). Straightforward navigation.

Drive Character

The drive from Franklin, WI to Lake Geneva, WI covers 33 miles and takes about 51m, using a mix of highways and local roads.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 20 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
State Highway 36 is the longest continuous segment at about 13.3 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near WI 100 / West Saint Martins Road.

Driving Effort 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 51m 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: near the start (WI 100 / West Saint Martins Road): Navigation decision point; at 16.1 miles (Milwaukee Avenue): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.2 miles (WI 120 / State Highway 120): Navigation decision point.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 6 key points

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

5
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | WI 100 / West Saint Martins Road

Turn left onto WI 100 / West Saint Martins Road

Navigation decision point

6
16.1 mi into trip | ~23m in | Milwaukee Avenue

Keep slight right at fork onto Milwaukee Avenue

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
4
28.2 mi into trip | ~43m in | WI 120 / State Highway 120

Turn left onto WI 120 / State Highway 120

Navigation decision point

5
30.6 mi into trip | ~47m in | WI 120

Enter roundabout onto WI 120

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

8
31.5 mi into trip | ~48m in | WI 120

Take the exit onto WI 120 toward WI 50 West, WI 120 South, CTH H South: Lake Geneva

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 330A Toward WI 50 West, WI 120 South, CTH H South: L...

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
State Highway 36 13.3 mi 18m
Milwaukee Avenue 6.8 mi 11m
West Loomis Road 6.1 mi 8m
State Highway 120 2.4 mi 3m
WI 120 1.3 mi 2m
West State Street 1.2 mi 2m
East Main Street 0.7 mi 1m
State Highway 50 0.5 mi <1m
Longest stretch: State Highway 36 — 13.3 mi, about 18m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Franklin, WI and Lake Geneva, WI.

1

Start on this road

160 ft · 17 sec · this road
2

Turn left onto WI 100

363 ft · 17 sec · West Saint Martins Road
3

Continue on this road

0.1 mi · 30 sec · this road
4

Turn left onto US 45; WI 36

6.1 mi · 8 min · West Loomis Road
5

Continue on WI 36

7.3 mi · 10 min · State Highway 36
6

Continue on WI 36

2.5 mi · 3 min · Milwaukee Avenue
7

Keep slight right at fork onto Milwaukee Avenue

4.2 mi · 7 min · Milwaukee Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
8

Turn straight onto West State Street

1.2 mi · 2 min · West State Street
9

Continue on Spring Valley Road

0.2 mi · 21 sec · Spring Valley Road
10

Continue on Highway 36

0.4 mi · 1 min · Highway 36
11

Continue on WI 36

6.0 mi · 8 min · State Highway 36
12

Turn left onto WI 120

2.2 mi · 2 min · State Highway 120
13

Enter roundabout onto WI 120

94 ft · 2 sec · State Highway 120
14

Continue on WI 120

0.2 mi · 25 sec · State Highway 120
15

Enter roundabout onto WI 120

222 ft · 5 sec · WI 120
16

Continue on WI 120

0.9 mi · 1 min · WI 120
17

Take the exit onto WI 120

0.3 mi · 42 sec · WI 120
Exit 330A Toward WI 50 West, WI 120 South, CTH H South: Lake Geneva Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18

Continue on WI 50; WI 120

0.5 mi · 52 sec · State Highway 50
19

Continue on WI 50

0.7 mi · 1 min · East Main Street
20

Arrive at destination

WI 50

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 16.5 mi from Franklin, WI · 24m into the drive

fourth-class city in Racine County, Wisconsin, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Burlington, WI

17 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

Lyons, WI

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 33 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Rochester, WI

Meal break

The midpoint is around 16.5 miles from Franklin, WI, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Lake Geneva, WI

Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Lake Geneva, WI if you are unfamiliar with the area.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.16 one way

$10.32 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $5.66 $11.33
premium $4.89 $6.35 $12.70
diesel $5.61 $7.29 $14.57

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 11.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 9.9 0 $3.47 $1.58
Efficient EV 8.3 0 $2.89 $1.32
EV Truck/SUV 13.2 0 $4.62 $2.11

Gas CO2

12 kg

EV CO2

4 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 as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Franklin, WI

Late night in Franklin on Friday

Local time

3:50 AM

CDT

Current temp

46°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Lake Geneva, WI

Late night in Lake Geneva on Friday

Local time

3:50 AM

CDT

Current temp

47°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

47°F

Burlington, WI

17 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

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

51m 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 Lake Geneva, WI covers 33 miles and takes about 51m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are State Highway 36, Milwaukee Avenue, West Loomis Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 16.5 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 $5.16 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 51m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

The main spots that need attention: near the start (WI 100 / West Saint Martins Road): Navigation decision point; at 16.1 miles (Milwaukee Avenue): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.2 miles (WI 120 / State Highway 120): Navigation decision point.

The route from Franklin, WI to Lake Geneva, WI does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

How this page is built

Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.

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