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Trip from La Crosse, WI to Grafton, WI

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

4h 20m

Distance

200.9 mi

323 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$31

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 40 min
4 AM
4h 7m ★
6 AM
4h 20m
8 AM
4h 47m
10 AM
4h 29m
12 PM
4h 27m
3 PM
4h 31m
5 PM
4h 45m
8 PM
4h 12m

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

city in and county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States

La Crosse, WI

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Grafton, WI, WI

Grafton, WI

Tom Fisk

Trip Overview

The drive from La Crosse, WI to Grafton, WI covers 200.9 miles and takes about 4h 20m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Main Street, Losey Boulevard North, WI 33 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $31.41 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

100.5 miles from La Crosse, WI

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 10m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 20m. Total distance: 200.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

4h 20m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 4h 20m drive with frequent turns across 200.9 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 47 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Main Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way.

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 4h 20m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from La Crosse, WI to Grafton, WI is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Main Street
Losey Boulevard North
WI 33
West Wisconsin Street
Highway 51
Highway 16
James Street
Park Avenue

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: Main Street — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between La Crosse, WI and Grafton, WI.

1

Start on West Avenue South

0.7 mi · 2 min · West Avenue South
2

Turn right

351 ft · 12 sec
3

Turn straight onto Main Street

0.9 mi · 2 min · Main Street
4

Turn left onto Losey Boulevard North

0.5 mi · 1 min · Losey Boulevard North
5

Continue straight

4.5 mi · 8 min
6

Take the ramp slight right

0.4 mi · 53 sec
7

Merge slight left

100 mi · 1 hr 46 min
8

Take the exit slight right toward WI 33: Portage, Baraboo

0.2 mi · 32 sec · WI 33: Portage, Baraboo
9

Keep slight right

174 ft · 4 sec
10

Turn straight

4.0 mi · 5 min
11

Turn right onto West Wisconsin Street

1.6 mi · 3 min · West Wisconsin Street
12

Continue on US Highway 51 & State Highway 16

2.8 mi · 4 min · US Highway 51 & State Highway 16
13

Turn left onto State Highway 16

23 mi · 31 min · State Highway 16
14

Continue on James Street

0.4 mi · 53 sec · James Street
15

Turn left

0.4 mi · 54 sec
16

Merge slight left

13 mi · 15 min
17

Take the exit slight right toward WI 33: Beaver Dam, Horicon

0.3 mi · 34 sec · WI 33: Beaver Dam, Horicon
18

Keep slight right

226 ft · 5 sec
19

Turn straight onto Park Avenue

0.3 mi · 31 sec · Park Avenue
20

Continue on State Highway 33

8.0 mi · 10 min · State Highway 33
21

Continue on Washington Street

0.6 mi · 1 min · Washington Street
22

Turn left onto Main Street

0.3 mi · 27 sec · Main Street
23

Continue on Barstow Street

0.3 mi · 24 sec · Barstow Street
24

Turn straight onto Vine Street

0.1 mi · 17 sec · Vine Street
25

Turn right onto East Lake Street

1.2 mi · 1 min · East Lake Street
26

Continue on State Highway 33

8.4 mi · 12 min · State Highway 33
27

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward State Highway 33

151 ft · 3 sec · State Highway 33
28

Exit the roundabout onto State Highway 33

4.8 mi · 7 min · State Highway 33
29

Continue on Main Street

1.1 mi · 1 min · Main Street
30

Take the ramp right toward I 41 South: Milwaukee

0.3 mi · 41 sec · I 41 South: Milwaukee
31

Merge slight left

7.7 mi · 8 min
32

Take the exit slight right toward WI 60: Jackson, Hartford

0.1 mi · 14 sec · WI 60: Jackson, Hartford
33

Turn left onto State Highway 60 East

0.6 mi · 53 sec · State Highway 60 East
34

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward State Highway 60

125 ft · 2 sec · State Highway 60
35

Exit the roundabout onto State Highway 60

2.5 mi · 3 min · State Highway 60
36

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward State Highway 60

121 ft · 7 sec · State Highway 60
37

Exit the roundabout onto State Highway 60

0.1 mi · 13 sec · State Highway 60
38

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward State Highway 60

125 ft · 7 sec · State Highway 60
39

Exit the roundabout onto State Highway 60

420 ft · 9 sec · State Highway 60
40

Enter the roundabout and take exit 1 toward State Highway 60

108 ft · 6 sec · State Highway 60
41

Exit the roundabout onto State Highway 60

3.2 mi · 6 min · State Highway 60
42

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward State Highway 60

112 ft · 2 sec · State Highway 60
43

Exit the roundabout onto State Highway 60

3.9 mi · 5 min · State Highway 60
44

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward the route

148 ft · 2 sec · the route
45

Exit the roundabout

4.6 mi · 11 min
46

Turn right

79 ft · 6 sec
47

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 100.5 miles from La Crosse, WI, or about 2h 10m into the drive.

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 44 miles or 56m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 100.5 miles or 2h 10m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 3h 33m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving La Crosse, 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 La Crosse, WI

This is one driving day of about 200.9 miles and 4h 20m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 44 miles from La Crosse, WI.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 100.5 mi from La Crosse, WI · 2h 10m into the drive

village in Columbia County, Wisconsin

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Pardeeville, WI

100 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

Angelo, WI

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 44 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Pardeeville, WI

Meal break

The midpoint is around 100.5 miles from La Crosse, WI, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Grafton, WI

The final approach into Grafton, 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 Grafton, 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

$31.41 one way

$62.82 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 70 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $34.49 $68.97
premium $4.89 $38.66 $77.32
diesel $5.61 $44.36 $88.71

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$31

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$56–$81

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 70.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $21 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 60.3 0 $21.09 $9.64
Efficient EV 50.2 0 $17.58 $8.04
EV Truck/SUV 80.4 1 $28.13 $12.86

Gas CO2

70 kg

EV CO2

24 kg (66% 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

La Crosse, WI

Morning in La Crosse on Thursday

Local time

11:06 AM

CDT

Current temp

66°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Grafton, WI

Morning in Grafton on Thursday

Local time

11:06 AM

CDT

Current temp

66°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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

4h 20m on the road

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from La Crosse, WI to Grafton, WI covers 200.9 miles and takes about 4h 20m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Main Street, Losey Boulevard North, WI 33. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 100.5 miles from La Crosse, WI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $31.41 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a straightforward 4h 20m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from La Crosse, WI to Grafton, WI is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from La Crosse, WI to Grafton, WI does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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