Origin
La Crosse, WI
Afternoon in La Crosse on Friday
Local time
12:51 PM
CDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from La Crosse, WI to Sauk City, WI
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
2h 18m
Distance
115.9 mi
187 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$18
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
2h 8m
★
6 AM
2h 18m
8 AM
2h 37m
10 AM
2h 25m
12 PM
2h 23m
3 PM
2h 26m
5 PM
2h 36m
8 PM
2h 12m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
La Crosse, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Sauk City, WI
Tom Fisk
Trip Overview
The drive from La Crosse, WI to Sauk City, WI covers 115.9 miles and takes about 2h 18m 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, US 12 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $18.12 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
58 miles from La Crosse, WI
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 9m into the drive .
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 18m. Total distance: 115.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 18m 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 2h 18m drive with frequent turns across 115.9 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 12 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. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from La Crosse, WI to Sauk City, WI is easy. At 2h 18m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from La Crosse, WI to Sauk City, WI is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Main Street | — | — |
| Losey Boulevard North | — | — |
| US 12 | — | — |
| Phillips Boulevard | — | — |
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 Sauk City, 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
86 mi
·
1 hr 31 min
8
Take the exit slight right toward US 12: Baraboo, Lake Delton
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
US 12: Baraboo, Lake Delton
9
Keep slight right
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
10
Merge slight left
22 mi
·
27 min
11
Continue on Phillips Boulevard
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Phillips Boulevard
12
Arrive at your destination
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 58 miles from La Crosse, WI, or about 1h 9m 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 25 miles or 29m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 58 miles or 1h 9m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 53m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Sauk City, 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 115.9 miles and 2h 18m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 25 miles from La Crosse, WI.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 58 mi from La Crosse, WI · 1h 9m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
58 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 25 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 58 miles from La Crosse, WI, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Sauk City, WI
The final approach into Sauk City, 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 Sauk City, 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
$18.12 one way
$36.24 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
41 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $19.89 | $39.79 |
| premium | $4.89 | $22.30 | $44.61 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $25.59 | $51.18 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$18
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$43–$68
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 40.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $12 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 34.8 | 0 | $12.17 | $5.56 |
| Efficient EV | 29 | 0 | $10.14 | $4.64 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 46.4 | 0 | $16.23 | $7.42 |
Gas CO2
41 kg
EV CO2
14 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.
Destination
Sauk City, WI
Afternoon in Sauk City on Friday
Local time
12:51 PM
CDT
Current temp
45°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
21 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
2h 18m 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 La Crosse, WI to Sauk City, WI covers 115.9 miles and takes about 2h 18m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Main Street, Losey Boulevard North, US 12. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 58 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 $18.12 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.
The drive from La Crosse, WI to Sauk City, WI is easy. At 2h 18m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from La Crosse, WI to Sauk City, WI is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from La Crosse, WI to Sauk City, WI does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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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