Origin
West Allis, WI
Afternoon in West Allis on Friday
Local time
12:25 PM
CDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from West Allis, WI to Richmond, WI
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 10m
Distance
50.9 mi
82 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 5m
★
6 AM
1h 11m
8 AM
1h 22m
10 AM
1h 14m
12 PM
1h 13m
3 PM
1h 15m
5 PM
1h 21m
8 PM
1h 7m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
West Allis, WI
Wikimedia Commons
Richmond, WI
Kelly
Trip Overview
The drive from West Allis, WI to Richmond, WI covers 50.9 miles and takes about 1h 10m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 45, State Highway 20, Iron Brigade Memorial Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 22.3 miles on US 45. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.96 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 10m. Total distance: 50.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 10m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (65%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 1h 10m highway drive covering 50.9 miles, with most of the trip on US 45 and State Highway 20. The longest continuous stretch is about 22.3 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 16 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 22.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 45 and State Highway 20. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.5 miles in.
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 50.9 miles you will encounter 12 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 1.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.8 miles (I 41; I 894; US 41; US 45 / Zoo Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 5 miles (US 45): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
8
1.5 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Turn left toward I 41 South, I 894 East, US 45 South
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward I 41 South, I 894 East, US 45 South
5
1.8 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
I 41; I 894; US 41; US 45 / Zoo Freeway
Merge onto I 41; I 894; US 41; US 45 / Zoo Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
5 mi into trip
|
~9m 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
7
27.3 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Take the exit toward WI 20: East Troy
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 38
Toward WI 20: East Troy
5
27.5 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 45 | 22.3 mi | 24m |
| State Highway 20 | 7.4 mi | 10m |
| Iron Brigade Memorial Highway | 4 mi | 5m |
| County Highway A | 3.8 mi | 5m |
| County Highway P | 3.4 mi | 5m |
| Zoo Freeway | 3.2 mi | 4m |
| North Street | 2 mi | 4m |
| Kettle Moraine Drive | 1.8 mi | 3m |
Longest stretch:
US 45
— 22.3 mi, about 24m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between West Allis, WI and Richmond, WI.
1
Start on WI 59
1.5 mi
·
4 min
·
West Greenfield Avenue
Use the left lane.
2
Turn left
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Toward I 41 South, I 894 East, US 45 South
Use the left lane.
3
Merge onto I 41; I 894; US 41; US 45
3.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Zoo Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Take the exit onto US 45
22 mi
·
24 min
·
US 45
Exit 4
Toward I 43 South, US 45 South: Beloit
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 38
Toward WI 20: East Troy
Use the slight right lane.
6
Keep slight right at fork
191 ft
·
5 sec
7
Turn right onto WI 20
2.0 mi
·
4 min
·
North Street
8
Continue on WI 20
5.9 mi
·
8 min
·
State Highway 20
9
Continue on WI 20
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
State Highway 20
10
Turn right onto US 12
4.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Iron Brigade Memorial Highway
11
Turn left onto CTH O
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
County Highway O
12
Turn right onto Kettle Moraine Drive
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Kettle Moraine Drive
13
Turn left onto CTH P
3.4 mi
·
5 min
·
County Highway P
14
Turn right onto CTH A
3.8 mi
·
5 min
·
County Highway A
15
Turn right onto Church Road
129 ft
·
5 sec
·
Church Road
16
Arrive at destination
Church Road
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 25.5 mi from West Allis, WI · 31m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
25 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 25.5 miles from West Allis, WI, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Richmond, WI
The final approach into Richmond, 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
$7.96 one way
$15.92 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $8.74 | $17.47 |
| premium | $4.89 | $9.80 | $19.59 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.24 | $22.48 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.3 | 0 | $5.34 | $2.44 |
| Efficient EV | 12.7 | 0 | $4.45 | $2.04 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.4 | 0 | $7.13 | $3.26 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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.
Destination
Richmond, WI
Afternoon in Richmond on Friday
Local time
12:25 PM
CDT
Current temp
65°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
18 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 10m 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 West Allis, WI to Richmond, WI covers 50.9 miles and takes about 1h 10m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are US 45, State Highway 20, Iron Brigade Memorial Highway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 25.5 miles from West Allis, WI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $7.96 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 50.9 miles you will encounter 12 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 1.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.8 miles (I 41; I 894; US 41; US 45 / Zoo Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 5 miles (US 45): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from West Allis, WI to Richmond, 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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