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Trip from Whitewater, WI to Kenosha, WI

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

Drive Time

1h 29m

Distance

59.3 mi

95 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 20 min
4 AM
1h 23m ★
6 AM
1h 30m
8 AM
1h 43m
10 AM
1h 34m
12 PM
1h 33m
3 PM
1h 35m
5 PM
1h 43m
8 PM
1h 25m

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

Downtown Whitewater, WI, WI

Whitewater, WI

Wikimedia Commons

city in and county seat of Kenosha County, Wisconsin and part of the Chicago metropolitan area, known as Chicagoland

Kenosha, WI

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Whitewater, WI to Kenosha, WI is 59.3 miles and takes about 1 hour 29 minutes via State Highway 50 and US 12, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Midwest region, connecting two points in Wisconsin. It's a straightforward drive, ideal for a quick day trip or a short leg of a larger journey. You'll find the route offers a mixed driving experience, suitable for those looking for a relatively short and easy transit between these two locations. Consider this for a convenient way to travel between the two cities without a significant time commitment.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 29m. Total distance: 59.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 29m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (41%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a mixed drive, meaning you'll encounter a variety of road types. With 41% of the journey on highways, expect some stretches of faster travel. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 13.9 miles on 75th Street. As you progress, the roads will transition, offering a blend of more direct highway segments and potentially some more local or town roads depending on the exact path. This variety keeps the drive from becoming monotonous, offering different driving experiences along the way.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 23 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
75th Street is the longest continuous segment at about 13.9 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.2 miles in near WI 59; US 12 Business.

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 59.3 miles you will encounter 11 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 1.2 miles (WI 59; US 12 Business): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 2.1 miles (US 12 / Iron Brigade Memorial Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 16.9 miles (US 12): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 11 key points

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

5
1.2 mi into trip | ~3m in | WI 59; US 12 Business

Enter roundabout onto WI 59; US 12 Business

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

5
2.1 mi into trip | ~6m in | US 12 / Iron Brigade Memorial Highway

Turn left onto US 12 / Iron Brigade Memorial Highway

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
7
16.9 mi into trip | ~27m in | US 12

Keep slight right at fork onto US 12 toward US 12 East: Lake Geneva

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward US 12 East: Lake Geneva
7
27.5 mi into trip | ~39m in

Take the exit toward WI 50 East: Kenosha

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Exit 330B Toward WI 50 East: Kenosha
5
59.2 mi into trip | ~1h 29m in | 8th Avenue

Turn left onto 8th Avenue

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
75th Street 13.9 mi 21m
State Highway 50 12.8 mi 18m
US 12 10.6 mi 12m
Iron Brigade Memorial Highway 9.3 mi 13m
North Wisconsin Street 5.4 mi 8m
Geneva Road 2.3 mi 3m
Roosevelt Road 1.2 mi 2m
WI 59 1 mi 2m
Longest stretch: 75th Street — 13.9 mi, about 21m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Whitewater, WI and Kenosha, WI.

1

Start on West Center Street

411 ft · 14 sec · West Center Street
2

Turn left onto West Whitewater Street

254 ft · 11 sec · West Whitewater Street
3

Turn right onto US 12 Business

0.1 mi · 32 sec · West Main Street
4

Continue on US 12 Business

0.9 mi · 2 min · East Milwaukee Street
5

Turn slight right onto WI 59; US 12 Business

171 ft · 8 sec · WI 59; US 12 Business
6

Enter roundabout onto WI 59; US 12 Business

95 ft · 5 sec · WI 59; US 12 Business
7

Continue on WI 59; US 12 Business

0.9 mi · 2 min · WI 59; US 12 Business
Use the straight lane.
8

Turn left onto US 12

9.3 mi · 13 min · Iron Brigade Memorial Highway
Use the left lane.
9

Continue on US 12; WI 67

5.4 mi · 8 min · North Wisconsin Street
10

Keep slight right at fork onto US 12

11 mi · 12 min · US 12
Toward US 12 East: Lake Geneva Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 48 sec
Exit 330B Toward WI 50 East: Kenosha Use the right lane.
12

Continue on WI 50; WI 120

10 mi · 14 min · State Highway 50
Use the straight lane.
13

Continue on WI 50; WI 83

2.3 mi · 3 min · Geneva Road
Use the straight lane.
14

Continue on WI 50

14 mi · 21 min · 75th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
15

Continue on WI 50

2.5 mi · 4 min · State Highway 50
16

Continue on WI 50

355 ft · 8 sec · State Highway 50
17

Continue on WI 50

1.2 mi · 2 min · Roosevelt Road
18

Continue on WI 50

0.7 mi · 1 min · 63rd Street
19

Turn left onto WI 32

0.4 mi · 42 sec · Sheridan Road
20

Turn right onto 57th Street

307 ft · 18 sec · 57th Street
21

Turn left onto 8th Avenue

266 ft · 11 sec · 8th Avenue
22

Turn left onto 56th Street

109 ft · 9 sec · 56th Street
23

Arrive at destination

56th Street

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 29.6 mi from Whitewater, WI · 43m into the drive

Downtown Bohners Lake, WI, WI

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Bohners Lake, WI

30 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

Elkhorn, WI

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Lyons, WI

Meal break

The midpoint is around 29.6 miles from Whitewater, WI, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Kenosha, WI

The final approach into Kenosha, 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

$8.05 one way

$16.11 round trip

$3.45/gal 25.4 MPG avg 21 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $3.85 $8.99 $17.98
premium $4.15 $9.69 $19.38
diesel $3.75 $8.75 $17.51

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 20.7 kg one way.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 17.8 0 $6.23 $2.85
Efficient EV 14.8 0 $5.19 $2.37
EV Truck/SUV 23.7 0 $8.30 $3.80

Gas CO2

21 kg

EV CO2

7 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 as of Apr 17, 2026

Origin

Whitewater, WI

Late night in Whitewater on Saturday

Local time

4:53 AM

CDT

Current temp

67°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Kenosha, WI

Late night in Kenosha on Saturday

Local time

4:53 AM

CDT

Current temp

67°F

Widespread Fog then Partly Sunny

SE 5 to 15 mph 11% chance Live forecast

Flash Flood Watch

Flash Flood Watch issued April 17 at 7:06AM CDT until April 19 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Flood Watch

Flood Watch issued April 17 at 7:06AM CDT until April 18 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

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

1h 29m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Whitewater, WI to Kenosha, WI covers 59.3 miles and takes about 1h 29m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are 75th Street, State Highway 50, US 12. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 29.6 miles from Whitewater, WI. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $8.05 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 59.3 miles you will encounter 11 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 1.2 miles (WI 59; US 12 Business): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 2.1 miles (US 12 / Iron Brigade Memorial Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 16.9 miles (US 12): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

The route from Whitewater, WI to Kenosha, 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. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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