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Trip from Milwaukee, WI to Rochester, WI

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

Drive Time

46m

Distance

30.1 mi

48 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 43m ★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 54m
10 AM
0h 49m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 50m
5 PM
0h 54m
8 PM
0h 44m

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 Milwaukee County, and largest city in State of Wisconsin, United States

Milwaukee, WI

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Rochester, WI, WI

Rochester, WI

Tom Fisk

Trip Overview

The drive from Milwaukee, WI to Rochester, WI covers 30.1 miles and takes about 46m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on East Wisconsin Avenue, North Jackson Street, I 794 West for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.71 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
East Wisconsin Avenue
North Jackson Street
I 794 West
East-West Freeway
I 43
I 43 South
North-South Freeway
I 41

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: East Wisconsin Avenue — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Milwaukee, WI and Rochester, WI.

1

Start on North Milwaukee Street

46 ft · 9 sec · North Milwaukee Street
2

Turn left onto East Wisconsin Avenue

0.1 mi · 25 sec · East Wisconsin Avenue
3

Turn right onto North Jackson Street

0.2 mi · 29 sec · North Jackson Street
4

Take the ramp slight right toward I 794 West

0.3 mi · 28 sec · I 794 West
5

Merge slight right onto East-West Freeway

0.2 mi · 22 sec · East-West Freeway
6

Take the exit slight right toward I 43, I 94 East: Chicago, Green Bay

0.3 mi · 36 sec · I 43, I 94 East: Chicago, Green Bay
7

Keep slight left to continue on I 43 South, I 94: Chicago

0.7 mi · 1 min · I 43 South, I 94: Chicago
8

Merge slight left onto North-South Freeway

4.7 mi · 6 min · North-South Freeway
9

Keep slight right to continue on I 41, I 43, I 894, US 41: Beloit

2.3 mi · 3 min · I 41, I 43, I 894, US 41: Beloit
10

Take the exit slight right toward WI 36 South: Loomis Road

0.3 mi · 54 sec · WI 36 South: Loomis Road
11

Turn straight onto West Loomis Road

2.2 mi · 4 min · West Loomis Road
12

Continue on West Loomis Road

10 mi · 14 min · West Loomis Road
13

Continue on State Highway 36

7.3 mi · 10 min · State Highway 36
14

Continue on Milwaukee Avenue

0.9 mi · 1 min · Milwaukee Avenue
15

Turn right onto Washington Avenue

0.1 mi · 19 sec · Washington Avenue
16

Continue on East Main Street

0.3 mi · 43 sec · East Main Street
17

Arrive at your destination

Where to Stop

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

village in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Greendale, WI

15 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

Waterford, WI

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 30 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Greendale, WI

Meal break

The midpoint is around 15.1 miles from Milwaukee, WI, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.71 one way

$9.41 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 11 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $5.17 $10.33
premium $4.89 $5.79 $11.58
diesel $5.61 $6.65 $13.29

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 10.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 9 0 $3.16 $1.44
Efficient EV 7.5 0 $2.63 $1.20
EV Truck/SUV 12 0 $4.21 $1.93

Gas CO2

11 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (64% 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

Milwaukee, WI

Afternoon in Milwaukee on Saturday

Local time

1:59 PM

CDT

Current temp

46°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Rochester, WI

Afternoon in Rochester on Saturday

Local time

1:59 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

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

46m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

30.1 mi in 46m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Main road: East Wisconsin Avenue.

How Hard Is This Drive?

1/10

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 Milwaukee, WI to Rochester, WI is easy. At 46m 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 Milwaukee, WI to Rochester, WI is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 46m. Total distance: 30.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

46m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

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

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Rochester, WI before heading back.

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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