Origin
Neillsville, WI
Afternoon in Neillsville on Saturday
Local time
2:55 PM
CDT
Current temp
40°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Neillsville, WI to La Crosse, WI
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 59m
Distance
74.2 mi
119 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$12
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 51m
★
6 AM
2h 0m
8 AM
2h 17m
10 AM
2h 6m
12 PM
2h 4m
3 PM
2h 7m
5 PM
2h 16m
8 PM
1h 54m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Neillsville, WI
Tom Fisk
La Crosse, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Neillsville to La Crosse is 74.2 miles and takes about 1 hour 59 minutes via State Highway 108, State Highway 54, and WI 16, with a fuel budget near $12 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This Midwest road trip connects two points within Wisconsin, offering a straightforward journey. Given its duration and distance, it's an ideal candidate for a single-day excursion. You'll spend most of your time on well-maintained highways, making for a predictable and efficient drive. Consider this route when you need a reliable way to get from point A to point B without much fuss.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
37.1 miles from Neillsville, WI
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 59m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| State Highway 108 | 16.5 mi | 24m |
| State Highway 54 | 14.2 mi | 21m |
| WI 16 | 11 mi | 17m |
| State Highway 95 | 8.6 mi | 12m |
| County Highway E | 7.8 mi | 13m |
| County Road J | 3.4 mi | 5m |
| State Highway 73 | 3 mi | 4m |
| US Highway 12 | 2.6 mi | 3m |
Longest stretch:
State Highway 108
— 16.5 mi, about 24m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Neillsville, WI and La Crosse, WI.
1
Start on WI 73
0.5 mi
·
56 sec
·
Hewett Street
2
Turn right onto US 10; WI 73
517 ft
·
22 sec
·
West Division Street
3
Turn left onto WI 73
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
State Highway 73
4
Turn straight onto WI 95
8.6 mi
·
12 min
·
State Highway 95
5
Turn left onto CTH J
3.4 mi
·
5 min
·
County Road J
6
Turn left onto CTH K
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
County Highway K
7
Turn right onto CTH E
7.8 mi
·
13 min
·
County Highway E
8
At end of road, turn left onto US 12; WI 27
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
US Highway 12
9
Continue on US 12; WI 27
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
North Water Street
10
Turn right onto WI 54
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
11
Turn left onto WI 54
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
·
South 10th Street
12
Turn right onto WI 54
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Melrose Street
13
Continue on WI 54
14 mi
·
21 min
·
State Highway 54
14
Continue on WI 54
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
North Washington Street
15
Turn straight onto WI 108
0.3 mi
·
31 sec
·
Sparta Street
16
Continue on WI 108
5.3 mi
·
7 min
·
State Highway 108
17
Continue on WI 108
11 mi
·
16 min
·
State Highway 108
18
Turn slight right
212 ft
·
7 sec
19
Turn straight onto WI 16; CTH C
11 mi
·
17 min
·
WI 16; CTH C
20
Continue on Losey Boulevard North
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Losey Boulevard North
21
Turn right onto CTH F
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
22
Turn left onto 16th Street South
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
16th Street South
23
Turn right onto Johnson Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Johnson Street
24
At end of road, turn right onto WI 35
326 ft
·
11 sec
·
West Avenue South
25
Arrive at destination
WI 35
Trip Plan
With a drive time under two hours and a fuel cost around $12, this route offers significant flexibility. You can depart at your leisure, perhaps after a relaxed morning. While there are no designated stops mentioned, keep an eye on your fuel gauge, as the longest stretch without services could be around 16.5 miles on State Highway 108. Given the short duration, you likely won't need to make many stops, but if you do, plan them strategically to coincide with junctions or larger towns for potential amenities. This trip is easily completed within a single day, allowing for spontaneous detours if time permits.
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 37.1 miles from Neillsville, WI, or about 59m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 16.5 miles.
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 16 miles or 25m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 37.1 miles or 59m 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 38m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near La Crosse, WI than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Neillsville, WI so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Neillsville, WI
This is one driving day of about 74.2 miles and 1h 59m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 16 miles from Neillsville, WI.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on State Highway 108 for about 16.5 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
37 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 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 37.1 miles from Neillsville, 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.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 74.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
WI 73 / State Highway 73
Turn left onto WI 73 / State Highway 73
Navigation decision point
4
12.2 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
CTH J / County Road J
Turn left onto CTH J / County Road J
Navigation decision point
4
15.6 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
CTH K / County Highway K
Turn left onto CTH K / County Highway K
Navigation decision point
4
16.1 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
CTH E / County Highway E
Turn right onto CTH E / County Highway E
Navigation decision point
5
74.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 59m in
|
WI 35 / West Avenue South
At end of road, turn right onto WI 35 / West Avenue South
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.60 one way
$23.20 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
26 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $12.74 | $25.47 |
| premium | $4.89 | $14.28 | $28.56 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $16.38 | $32.76 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$12
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$37–$62
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 26 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 22.3 | 0 | $7.79 | $3.56 |
| Efficient EV | 18.6 | 0 | $6.49 | $2.97 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 29.7 | 0 | $10.39 | $4.75 |
Gas CO2
26 kg
EV CO2
9 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.
Destination
La Crosse, WI
Afternoon in La Crosse on Saturday
Local time
2:55 PM
CDT
Current temp
77°F
Partly Sunny then Showers And Thunderstorms
S 8 to 16 mph
90% chance
Live forecast
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued April 17 at 10:23AM CDT until April 17 at 11:00AM CDT by NWS Twin Cities/Chanhassen M...
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 17 at 10:22AM CDT by NWS Green Bay WI
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
37 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
1h 59m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is primarily a highway-focused experience, with about 75% of the route utilizing major roadways. You'll navigate segments of State Highway 108, State Highway 54, and WI 16. Expect stretches where you can maintain a consistent speed. The longest uninterrupted section is approximately 16.5 miles on State Highway 108, allowing for a good rhythm. While it's largely highway, the transition between these state highways and WI 16 should provide a varied, yet consistently drivable, road surface.
75% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
25 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.5 mi on State Highway 108.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on State Highway 108 and State Highway 54. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in near WI 73 / State Highway 73.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 59m drive. You will face about 12 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (WI 73 / State Highway 73): Navigation decision point; at 12.2 miles (CTH J / County Road J): Navigation decision point; at 15.6 miles (CTH K / County Highway K): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Arriving in La Crosse, WI
Full guide →La Crosse is a city in the Coulee Region of Southwest Wisconsin on the Mississippi River. It is the county seat of La Crosse County. It's nestled between the river and picturesque bluffs that rise behind it. With a city population of around 50,000 and the metropolitan area just under 100,000, La Crosse offers visitors plenty of activities to do and sights to see, without the overwhelming hustle and bustle of bigger cities.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 59m. Total distance: 74.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 59m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (75%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16.5 miles on State Highway 108. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (WI 73 / State Highway 73): Navigation decision point; at 12.2 miles (CTH J / County Road J): Navigation decision point; at 15.6 miles (CTH K / County Highway K): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at La Crosse, 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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