Trip from Racine, WI to Lincoln, WI

Drive Time

3h 22m

Distance

161.9 mi

261 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$25

one way

EV Charging

None

0 DC fast

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 36 min

4 AM

3h 11m ★

6 AM

3h 23m

8 AM

3h 47m

10 AM

3h 31m

12 PM

3h 29m

3 PM

3h 32m

5 PM

3h 46m

8 PM

3h 15m

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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Racine, WI

Yan Krukau

Trip Overview

The drive from Racine, WI to Lincoln, WI covers 161.9 miles and takes about 3h 22m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 43, North-South Freeway, WI 54 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 91.9 miles on I 43. At current regular gas prices, budget about $24.59 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.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

81 miles from Racine, WI

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 43m into the drive .

Drive Character

This is a 3h 22m highway drive covering 161.9 miles, with most of the trip on I 43 and North-South Freeway. The longest continuous stretch is about 91.9 miles on I 43.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.

There are about 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.

I 43 is the longest continuous segment at about 91.9 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 43 and North-South Freeway. You will hit about 15 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.9 miles in near WI 32 / Douglas Avenue.

Route Complexity 6/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 161.9 miles you will encounter 15 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 0.9 miles (WI 32 / Douglas Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 15.6 miles (I 41; I 94; US 41 / North-South Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 20 miles (I 94 / North-South Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 15 key points

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

0.9 mi into trip | ~1m in | WI 32 / Douglas Avenue

Turn right onto WI 32 / Douglas Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.

15.6 mi into trip | ~26m in | I 41; I 94; US 41 / North-South Freeway

Merge onto I 41; I 94; US 41 / North-South Freeway

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

20 mi into trip | ~32m in | I 94 / North-South Freeway

Keep slight left at fork onto I 94 / North-South Freeway toward I 43 North, I 94 West: Milwaukee

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 43 North, I 94 West: Milwaukee

140.1 mi into trip | ~2h 46m in

Take the exit toward WI 54, WI 57: Sturgeon Bay, Algoma

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

Toward WI 54, WI 57: Sturgeon Bay, Algoma

154 mi into trip | ~3h 3m in

Take the exit toward CTH P, CTH DK: Dyckesville

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

Toward CTH P, CTH DK: Dyckesville

Towns Along This Route

On the drive from Racine, WI to Lincoln, WI, road signs begin pointing toward Algoma along the way.

Algoma

140.1 mi in | ~2h 46m

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
I 43	91.9 mi	1h 38m
North-South Freeway	32.6 mi	41m
WI 54	13.2 mi	14m
Douglas Avenue	8.3 mi	13m
County Road S	6.6 mi	16m
West Ryan Road	4 mi	6m
South Chicago Road	1.8 mi	3m
County Road DK	0.9 mi	2m

Longest stretch: I 43 — 91.9 mi, about 1h 38m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Racine, WI and Lincoln, WI.

Start on 7th Street

69 ft · 11 sec · 7th Street

Turn left onto Main Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · Main Street

Turn left onto Hamilton Street

0.2 mi · 20 sec · Hamilton Street

Turn right onto Douglas Avenue

8.3 mi · 13 min · Douglas Avenue

Continue on South Chicago Road

1.8 mi · 3 min · South Chicago Road

Turn straight

0.1 mi · 23 sec

Turn left onto West Ryan Road

4.0 mi · 6 min · West Ryan Road

Take the ramp slight right toward I 41 North, I 94 West: Milwaukee

0.5 mi · 1 min · I 41 North, I 94 West: Milwaukee

Merge slight left onto North-South Freeway

4.5 mi · 5 min · North-South Freeway

Keep slight left to continue on North-South Freeway

28 mi · 36 min · North-South Freeway

Continue straight

92 mi · 1 hr 38 min

Take the exit slight right toward WI 54, WI 57: Sturgeon Bay, Algoma

0.4 mi · 46 sec · WI 54, WI 57: Sturgeon Bay, Algoma

Keep slight right

0.3 mi · 43 sec

Merge slight left

13 mi · 14 min

Take the exit slight right toward CTH P, CTH DK: Dyckesville

0.3 mi · 48 sec · CTH P, CTH DK: Dyckesville

Turn left onto North Sugarbush Road

0.2 mi · 29 sec · North Sugarbush Road

Continue on County Road DK

0.9 mi · 2 min · County Road DK

Turn right onto County Road S

2.5 mi · 6 min · County Road S

At the end of the road, turn left onto County Road S

4.1 mi · 9 min · County Road S

Turn left onto Red River Lincoln T L Road

85 ft · 4 sec · Red River Lincoln T L Road

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.

Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.

The halfway point lands around 81 miles from Racine, WI, or about 1h 43m into the drive.

The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 91.9 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 80 miles or 1h 42m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 81 miles or 1h 43m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 2h 39m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Lincoln, WI than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

Open the route before leaving Racine, 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 Racine, WI

This is one driving day of about 161.9 miles and 3h 22m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Racine, WI.

This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.

Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

The longest stretch is on I 43 for about 91.9 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 81 mi from Racine, WI · 1h 43m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Waukegan, IL

81 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

Waukegan, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Waukegan, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 81 miles from Racine, WI, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before I 43 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 91.9 miles.

Arriving in Lincoln, WI

The final approach into Lincoln, 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 Lincoln, 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

$24.59 one way

$49.18 round trip

$3.86/gal 25.4 MPG avg 57 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.25	$27.11	$54.22
premium	$4.80	$30.56	$61.13
diesel	$5.64	$35.97	$71.94

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$25

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$50–$75

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 56.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $17 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	48.6	$17.00	$7.77
Efficient EV	40.5	$14.17	$6.48
EV Truck/SUV	64.8	$22.67	$10.36

Gas CO2

57 kg

EV CO2

19 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 data refreshed 3 days ago

Origin

Racine, WI

Morning in Racine on Monday

Local time

6:16 AM

CDT

Current temp

41°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Lincoln, WI

Morning in Lincoln on Monday

Local time

6:16 AM

CDT

Current temp

41°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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

3h 22m 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 Racine, WI to Lincoln, WI covers 161.9 miles and takes about 3h 22m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are I 43, North-South Freeway, WI 54. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 81 miles from Racine, WI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $24.59 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.