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Trip from Menomonee Falls, WI to Lake Geneva, WI

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 13m

Distance

55.9 mi

90 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 18 min
4 AM
1h 7m ★
6 AM
1h 13m
8 AM
1h 25m
10 AM
1h 17m
12 PM
1h 16m
3 PM
1h 18m
5 PM
1h 24m
8 PM
1h 10m

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

village in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States

Menomonee Falls, WI

Wikimedia Commons

city in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States

Lake Geneva, WI

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Menomonee Falls, WI to Lake Geneva, WI covers 55.9 miles and takes about 1h 13m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on US 45, I 41, State Highway 120 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 23.9 miles on US 45. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.74 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 13m. Total distance: 55.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 13m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (96%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 1h 13m highway drive covering 55.9 miles, with most of the trip on US 45 and I 41. The longest continuous stretch is about 23.9 miles on US 45.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
US 45 is the longest continuous segment at about 23.9 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 45 and I 41. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.2 miles in near I 41; US 41; US 45.

Driving Effort 6/10

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 55.9 miles you will encounter 10 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: at 1.2 miles (I 41; US 41; US 45): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.4 miles (US 45): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 41.3 miles (36): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 10 key points

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

5
1.2 mi into trip | ~3m in | I 41; US 41; US 45

Merge onto I 41; US 41; US 45

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
17.4 mi into trip | ~24m in | US 45

Take the exit onto US 45 toward I 43 South, US 45 South: Beloit

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

Use the straight / slight left lanes. Exit 4 Toward I 43 South, US 45 South: Beloit
8
41.3 mi into trip | ~50m in | 36

Take the exit onto 36 toward WI 120: East Troy, Lake Geneva

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 36 Toward WI 120: East Troy, Lake Geneva
5
41.6 mi into trip | ~51m in

Keep slight left at fork

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

8
54.4 mi into trip | ~1h 10m 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
US 45 23.9 mi 26m
I 41 16.2 mi 21m
State Highway 120 11.9 mi 17m
WI 120 1.3 mi 2m
East Main Street 0.7 mi 1m
Main Street 0.7 mi 1m
State Highway 50 0.5 mi <1m
36 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: US 45 — 23.9 mi, about 26m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on WI 175

21 ft · 4 sec · Appleton Avenue
2

Turn left onto Main Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · Main Street
3

Turn left onto Pilgrim Road

0.1 mi · 16 sec · Pilgrim Road
4

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 55 sec
Toward I 41 South, US 45 South
5

Merge onto I 41; US 41; US 45

16 mi · 21 min · I 41; US 41; US 45
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Take the exit onto US 45

24 mi · 26 min · US 45
Exit 4 Toward I 43 South, US 45 South: Beloit Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7

Take the exit onto 36

0.3 mi · 38 sec · 36
Exit 36 Toward WI 120: East Troy, Lake Geneva Use the slight right lane.
8

Keep slight left at fork

139 ft · 3 sec
9

Turn left onto WI 120

12 mi · 16 min · State Highway 120
10

Enter roundabout onto WI 120

94 ft · 2 sec · State Highway 120
11

Continue on WI 120

0.2 mi · 25 sec · State Highway 120
12

Enter roundabout onto WI 120

222 ft · 5 sec · WI 120
13

Continue on WI 120

0.9 mi · 1 min · WI 120
14

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.
15

Continue on WI 50; WI 120

0.5 mi · 52 sec · State Highway 50
16

Continue on WI 50

0.7 mi · 1 min · East Main Street
17

Arrive at destination

WI 50

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 28 mi from Menomonee Falls, WI · 36m into the drive

Downtown Muskego, WI, WI

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Muskego, WI

28 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.

Popular next leg

Muskego, WI to Lake Geneva, WI

34.6 mi · 46m

Pacing Suggestions

Wauwatosa, WI

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Muskego, WI

Meal break

The midpoint is around 28 miles from Menomonee Falls, WI, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Lake Geneva, WI

The final approach into Lake Geneva, WI usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.74 one way

$17.48 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 20 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $9.60 $19.19
premium $4.89 $10.76 $21.51
diesel $5.61 $12.34 $24.68

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 19.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 16.8 0 $5.87 $2.68
Efficient EV 14 0 $4.89 $2.24
EV Truck/SUV 22.4 0 $7.83 $3.58

Gas CO2

20 kg

EV CO2

7 kg (65% 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

Menomonee Falls, WI

Night in Menomonee Falls on Friday

Local time

9:07 PM

CDT

Current temp

62°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Lake Geneva, WI

Night in Lake Geneva on Friday

Local time

9:07 PM

CDT

Current temp

47°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

15 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

1h 13m 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 Menomonee Falls, WI to Lake Geneva, WI covers 55.9 miles and takes about 1h 13m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are US 45, I 41, State Highway 120. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 28 miles from Menomonee Falls, WI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $8.74 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 55.9 miles you will encounter 10 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: at 1.2 miles (I 41; US 41; US 45): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.4 miles (US 45): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 41.3 miles (36): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

The route from Menomonee Falls, WI to Lake Geneva, 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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