Trip from Sauk City, WI to Franklin, WI

Drive Time

2h 9m

Distance

103.5 mi

167 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$16

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 28 min
4 AM
2h 0m ★
6 AM
2h 9m
8 AM
2h 28m
10 AM
2h 16m
12 PM
2h 14m
3 PM
2h 17m
5 PM
2h 27m
8 PM
2h 4m

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

Downtown Franklin, WI, WI

Franklin, WI

Tom Fisk

Trip Overview

The drive from Sauk City, WI to Franklin, WI covers 103.5 miles and takes about 2h 9m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Phillips Boulevard, Highway 19, West Main Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $15.72 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

0 planned breaks

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

Midpoint

51.8 miles from Sauk City, WI

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 4m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a 2h 9m drive with frequent turns across 103.5 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 25 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Phillips Boulevard is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

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.

Route Complexity 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

The drive from Sauk City, WI to Franklin, WI is easy. At 2h 9m 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 Sauk City, WI to Franklin, WI is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Phillips Boulevard Unavailable Refreshing
Highway 19 Unavailable Refreshing
West Main Street Unavailable Refreshing
the route Unavailable Refreshing
I 39 South Unavailable Refreshing
I 94 Unavailable Refreshing
I 41 Unavailable Refreshing
I 41 South Unavailable Refreshing

Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.

Longest stretch: Phillips Boulevard — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Sauk City, WI and Franklin, WI.

1

Start on Water Street

26 ft · 9 sec · Water Street
2

Turn right onto Phillips Boulevard

11 mi · 15 min · Phillips Boulevard
3

Turn left onto State Highway 19

4.2 mi · 5 min · State Highway 19
4

Continue on West Main Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · West Main Street
5

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward West Main Street

115 ft · 7 sec · West Main Street
6

Exit the roundabout onto West Main Street

1.0 mi · 2 min · West Main Street
7

Continue on State Highway 19

1.5 mi · 2 min · State Highway 19
8

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward State Highway 19

138 ft · 8 sec · State Highway 19
9

Exit the roundabout onto State Highway 19

2.4 mi · 3 min · State Highway 19
10

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward the route

144 ft · 8 sec · the route
11

Exit the roundabout

1.0 mi · 1 min
12

Take the ramp right toward I 39 South, I 90 East, I 94 East: Madison

0.5 mi · 1 min · I 39 South, I 90 East, I 94 East: Madison
13

Merge slight left

6.3 mi · 6 min
14

Keep slight left to continue on I 94: Milwaukee

64 mi · 1 hr 9 min · I 94: Milwaukee
15

Take the exit slight right toward I 41, I 894, US 45: Chicago, Fond du Lac

0.6 mi · 1 min · I 41, I 894, US 45: Chicago, Fond du Lac
16

Keep slight left to continue on I 41 South, I 894 East, US 41 South, US 45 South: Chicago

0.4 mi · 38 sec · I 41 South, I 894 East, US 41 South, US 45 South: Chicago
17

Continue on I 41 South, I 894 East, US 41 South, US 45 South: Chicago

0.3 mi · 30 sec · I 41 South, I 894 East, US 41 South, US 45 South: Chicago
18

Keep slight left to continue on I 41, I 894, US 45 South: Chicago

0.2 mi · 29 sec · I 41, I 894, US 45 South: Chicago
19

Merge slight left onto Zoo Freeway

3.5 mi · 4 min · Zoo Freeway
20

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

0.8 mi · 1 min · I 43 South, US 45 South: Beloit
21

Take the exit slight left toward US 45, WI 100: 108th Street

0.2 mi · 22 sec · US 45, WI 100: 108th Street
22

Keep slight right to continue on WI 100 South, US 45 South

4.8 mi · 9 min · WI 100 South, US 45 South
23

Turn right

85 ft · 8 sec
24

Turn right

161 ft · 12 sec
25

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

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 51.8 miles from Sauk City, WI, or about 1h 4m into the drive.

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 39m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 51.8 miles or 1h 4m 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 46m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Sauk City, 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 Sauk City, WI

This is one driving day of about 103.5 miles and 2h 9m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Sauk City, WI.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 51.8 mi from Sauk City, WI · 1h 4m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Rockford, IL

52 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.

Rockford, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 51.8 miles from Sauk City, WI, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Franklin, WI

The final approach into Franklin, 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 Franklin, 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

$15.72 one way

$31.44 round trip

$3.86/gal 25.4 MPG avg 36 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.25 $17.33 $34.66
premium $4.80 $19.54 $39.08
diesel $5.64 $22.99 $45.99

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$16

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$41–$66

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 36.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $11 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 31 0 $10.87 $4.97
Efficient EV 25.9 0 $9.06 $4.14
EV Truck/SUV 41.4 0 $14.49 $6.62

Gas CO2

36 kg

EV CO2

12 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 2 days ago

Origin

Sauk City, WI

Afternoon in Sauk City on Sunday

Local time

4:19 PM

CDT

Current temp

47°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Franklin, WI

Afternoon in Franklin on Sunday

Local time

4:19 PM

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

6 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

2h 9m 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 Sauk City, WI to Franklin, WI covers 103.5 miles and takes about 2h 9m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Phillips Boulevard, Highway 19, West Main Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 51.8 miles from Sauk City, WI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $15.72 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 Sauk City, WI to Franklin, WI is easy. At 2h 9m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Sauk City, WI to Franklin, WI is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Sauk City, WI to Franklin, WI does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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Explore More

Return Trip

Franklin, WI to Sauk City, WI

Plan the drive back the other way.

103.5 mi 2h 8m

Explore more options from Sauk City, WI or browse trips ending in Franklin, WI.

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