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Trip from Lake Geneva, WI to Franklin, WI

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

Drive Time

50m

Distance

32.9 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 12 min
4 AM
0h 47m ★
6 AM
0h 51m
8 AM
0h 59m
10 AM
0h 54m
12 PM
0h 53m
3 PM
0h 54m
5 PM
0h 59m
8 PM
0h 48m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States

Lake Geneva, WI

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Franklin, WI, WI

Franklin, WI

Tom Fisk

Trip Overview

The drive from Lake Geneva, WI to Franklin, WI covers 32.9 miles and takes about 50m 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, 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 $5.14 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 50m. Total distance: 32.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

50m 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 Lake Geneva, WI to Franklin, WI covers 32.9 miles and takes about 50m, 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 17 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. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 1.4 miles in near WI 120.

Driving Effort 2/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Lake Geneva, WI to Franklin, WI is easy. At 50m with 54% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.4 miles (WI 120): Navigation decision point; at 2.5 miles (WI 120): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.7 miles (WI 120 / State Highway 120): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 7 key points

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

4
1.4 mi into trip | ~2m in | WI 120

Turn left onto WI 120

Navigation decision point

5
2.5 mi into trip | ~4m in | WI 120

Take the exit onto WI 120 toward WI 120 North, CTH H North: Lake Geneva, Burlington

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

Toward WI 120 North, CTH H North: Lake Geneva,...
5
2.7 mi into trip | ~4m in | WI 120 / State Highway 120

Enter roundabout onto WI 120 / State Highway 120

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

4
4.9 mi into trip | ~7m in | WI 36 / State Highway 36

Turn right onto WI 36 / State Highway 36

Navigation decision point

4
32.8 mi into trip | ~50m in

Turn left

Navigation decision point

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Lake Geneva, WI and Franklin, WI, road signs point toward Cth H North: Lake Geneva and Burlington.

Cth H North: Lake Geneva

2.5 mi in | ~4m | via WI 120

Burlington

2.5 mi in | ~4m | via WI 120

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
State Highway 36 13.3 mi 18m
Milwaukee Avenue 6.8 mi 11m
Loomis Road 6 mi 8m
State Highway 120 2.2 mi 3m
WI 120 1.3 mi 2m
West State Street 1.2 mi 2m
West Main Street 0.7 mi 1m
State Highway 50 0.7 mi 1m
Longest stretch: State Highway 36 — 13.3 mi, about 18m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on WI 50

0.7 mi · 1 min · West Main Street
2

Continue on WI 50

0.7 mi · 1 min · State Highway 50
3

Turn left onto WI 120

1.1 mi · 1 min · WI 120
4

Take the exit onto WI 120

0.2 mi · 30 sec · WI 120
Toward WI 120 North, CTH H North: Lake Geneva, Burlington
5

Enter roundabout onto WI 120

10 ft · 0 sec · State Highway 120
6

Continue on WI 120

2.2 mi · 3 min · State Highway 120
7

Turn right onto WI 36

5.9 mi · 8 min · State Highway 36
8

Continue on WI 36

0.1 mi · 13 sec · State Highway 36
9

Continue on Highway 36

0.4 mi · 1 min · Highway 36
10

Continue on Spring Valley Road

0.2 mi · 21 sec · Spring Valley Road
11

Continue on West State Street

1.2 mi · 2 min · West State Street
12

Turn straight onto Milwaukee Avenue

6.8 mi · 11 min · Milwaukee Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
13

Continue on WI 36

7.3 mi · 10 min · State Highway 36
14

Continue on WI 36

6.0 mi · 8 min · Loomis Road
15

Turn right

80 ft · 9 sec
16

Turn left

141 ft · 10 sec
17

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 16.4 mi from Lake Geneva, WI · 26m into the drive

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

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Burlington, WI

16 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

Greendale, WI

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 32.9 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Burlington, WI

Meal break

The midpoint is around 16.4 miles from Lake Geneva, WI, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Franklin, WI

Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Franklin, 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

$5.14 one way

$10.29 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $5.65 $11.29
premium $4.89 $6.33 $12.66
diesel $5.61 $7.26 $14.53

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 $3.45 $1.58
Efficient EV 8.2 0 $2.88 $1.32
EV Truck/SUV 13.2 0 $4.61 $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 17, 2026

Origin

Lake Geneva, WI

Morning in Lake Geneva on Friday

Local time

10:41 AM

CDT

Current temp

50°F

Widespread Fog

SE 5 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Flash Flood Watch

Flash Flood Watch issued April 16 at 11:57PM CDT until April 19 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued April 16 at 11:57PM CDT until April 18 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Destination

Franklin, WI

Morning in Franklin on Friday

Local time

10:41 AM

CDT

Current temp

47°F

Widespread Fog

SE 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flash Flood Watch

Flash Flood Watch issued April 16 at 11:57PM CDT until April 19 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued April 16 at 11:57PM CDT until April 18 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

47°F

Burlington, WI

16 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

3 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

50m 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 Lake Geneva, WI to Franklin, WI covers 32.9 miles and takes about 50m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

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

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 16.4 miles from Lake Geneva, WI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.14 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 Lake Geneva, WI to Franklin, WI is easy. At 50m with 54% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

The main spots that need attention: at 1.4 miles (WI 120): Navigation decision point; at 2.5 miles (WI 120): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.7 miles (WI 120 / State Highway 120): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

Between Lake Geneva, WI and Franklin, WI, road signs point toward Cth H North: Lake Geneva and Burlington.

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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