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Traffic heat map of Wisconsin: roads over 1,000 vehicles a day shaded from blue (light) to red (heavy traffic), busiest on Zoo Freeway and East-West Freeway

Wisconsin Traffic Counts

How busy are the roads of Wisconsin? We measure 35,288 road miles, divided into 499,299 segments, with multi-sourced, cross-verified mobile and sensor data. Its busiest road, Zoo Freeway in Milwaukee County, carries 118,550 vehicles a day, 31.2 times the average road. The breakdown below covers volume, trucks, congestion and driver profiles for retailers, logistics planners and engineers.
Data sourced from TrafficZoom's proprietary analytics platform.
Data current as of:
Q3 2026
Updated:
September 29, 2026
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total traffic icon

Total Traffic Volume & Performance in Wisconsin

Traffic

The average number of vehicles that travel each day over any road in the road network.

vehicles per day3,802
Trucks

The percentage of the total traffic volume composed of heavy vehicles.

10.2%
Average travel time

The average time of travel averaged among all vehicles traveling on the road network.

32.2 min
Congestion ratio

The rate at which the actual travel time exceeds free-flow travel time, averaged among all roads in the network.

12.6%
Drivers’ average age

Average age of residents in the geographic areas where the vehicle trips originated.

47.6 yrs
Drivers’ average income

Average income of residents in the geographic areas where the vehicle trips originated.

$84,288

Our data shows 3,802 vehicles per day on the average road in Wisconsin, and 133,024,389 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈48.6 billion per year) across its 35,288 miles of monitored roads. About 1 in 10 vehicles is a truck, in line with the US (9.3%).

Quieter roads than 88% of states nationwide

Wisconsin sees 46% lower average daily traffic volume than the national average (3,802 vehicles per day against 6,986), suggesting less demand on each road - lighter roads for freight, but less passing trade for roadside retail. Across the whole network, that travel is about 1.8% of the national total. By volume, Wisconsin's 3,802 vehicles per day trails 88% of states nationwide.

At 32.2 minutes, the average travel time matches the national level closely. On travel time, Wisconsin runs shorter than 79% of states nationwide.

The congestion ratio of 12.6% is 33% lower, pointing to smoother traffic flow than the national level - fewer delays make delivery windows more reliable.

Highway vs. Non-Highway Traffic Analysis

highway traffic icon

Highway Traffic in Wisconsin

Trafficvehicles per day11,054
Trucks14.7%
Average travel time41.4 min
Congestion ratio30.8%
Drivers’ average age48.2 yrs
Drivers’ average income$86,289

Highways carry a significant share of travel in Wisconsin: 45% of all vehicle-miles. The average highway carries 11,054 vehicles per day, 217% more than the average non-highway road in the same area, which carries 3,486 vehicles per day.

Yet highways are only 14% of the road network, 4,830 miles in 20,870 segments, so each mile of them is 3.3 times as busy as the average road mile.

50% of states nationwide move less traffic on their highways.

Higher highway truck share than 66% of states nationwide

The concentration of trucks on highways (14.7%) is 12% higher than the national average for similar road classifications. The highway traffic mix is typical for the US: neither freight- nor commuter-dominated.

Wisconsin's highway truck share (14.7%) is higher than 66% of states nationwide. By raw truck volume, Wisconsin carries more highway trucks than 52% of states nationwide.

non-highway traffic icon

Non-highway Traffic in Wisconsin

Trafficvehicles per day3,486
Trucks6.5%
Average travel time31.8 min
Congestion ratio12.2%
Drivers’ average age47.3 yrs
Drivers’ average income$83,366

A little more than half of the driving in Wisconsin happens on local roads: 55% of all vehicle-miles. On the average non-highway road, that comes to 3,486 vehicles per day.

Spread over 30,458 miles and 478,429 segments, 86% of the road network, local roads carry a lighter load per mile: 73,183,955 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈26.7 billion per year). The truck share on non-highway roads is 6.5%.

Older drivers than 78% of states nationwide

Compared to highways, non-highway routes see 56% fewer trucks by share.

The non-highway congestion ratio of 12.2% is 34% lower than the national level, suggesting more efficient local mobility than the national average.

Trip origins here have lower average income than 56% of states nationwide. Wisconsin's median driver age is higher than 78% of states nationwide.

Time-of-Day & Seasonal Patterns

peak hours icon
Peak Traffic Windows
Weekday peaks:
AM peak 7:00 AM–9:00 AM and a long afternoon plateau from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM, with volumes reaching approximately 77% higher than the daily average.
Weekend traffic:
Weekends are somewhat quieter: volumes run about 18% below weekday levels, the usual weekend dip.
seasonal traffic icon
Seasonal Fluctuation
Busy season:
June–August is the high season, with volumes +10% versus the annual average.
Lowest month:
January is the quietest month, with volumes -13% versus the annual average - the usual winter low.

Data Finding: Hourly & Seasonal Patterns

In Wisconsin, the peak hour concentrates about 7% of the day's traffic, and there is a noticeable seasonal swing of +10% in high season.

Wisconsin vs. United States Traffic Comparison

Of the four measures, average daily traffic per road differs most: Wisconsin runs 46% below the United States average.

MetricWisconsinUnited States averageDifference
Traffic3,8026,986-45.6%
Truck % (Total Traffic)10.2%9.3%+8.8%
Truck % (Highway)14.7%13.1%+12.5%
Avg. Travel Time32.2 min33.3 min-3.4%

How Wisconsin compares

Wisconsin against nearby states

Against the 4 nearest states, Wisconsin carries 32.8% less traffic on a typical road; it has the third busiest roads of the five.

Wisconsin and the 4 nearest states by centroid distance, with the United States average for scale.
StateAverage daily trafficTruck shareDaily vehicle-milesAverage travel timeCongestion ratio
Wisconsin3,80210.2%133,024,38932.2 min12.6%
Illinois8,48010.2%237,902,16234.1 min20.6%
Iowa3,04211.0%83,534,36633.0 min11.4%
Minnesota3,4048.1%139,654,53732.2 min10.6%
Michigan7,6977.7%219,725,81933.6 min18.5%
United States average6,9869.3%N/A33.3 min18.9%

Busiest counties in Wisconsin

Wisconsin's three busiest counties account for 26.9% of all the vehicle-miles measured in the state.

Ranked by daily vehicle-miles, across the 72 counties in Wisconsin with a published traffic page. Vehicle-miles is total travel, so this ranks by traffic MOVED rather than by how busy a typical road is.
CountyDaily vehicle-milesAverage daily trafficTruck shareRoad miles
1. Milwaukee County14,370,7107,6386.7%1,315
2. Dane County12,198,4084,9529.3%1,709
3. Waukesha County9,163,2955,7147.1%1,158

Most truck-intensive counties in Wisconsin

Wisconsin's five most truck-intensive counties account for 12.8% of the truck vehicle-miles driven in the state.

Ranked by truck share of all traffic, across the same 72 counties, shown with the traffic volume that share is measured against.
CountyTruck shareTruck share on highwaysAverage daily trafficDaily vehicle-miles
1. Juneau County22.6%28.9%2,4651,756,482
2. Jackson County20.6%23.8%1,7521,358,231
3. Monroe County18.5%25.0%2,3791,833,899
4. Dunn County17.7%23.3%2,6111,778,771
5. Columbia County14.6%18.6%2,6862,721,460

Ranked by truck vehicle-miles instead of truck share, the list is different: Dane County, Milwaukee County, Waukesha County, Brown County and Rock County carry 27.3% of all truck travel in Wisconsin.

Busiest roads in Wisconsin

On their busiest stretches, the three busiest roads in Wisconsin carry 115,370 vehicles a day on average, 30.3 times the typical road in the state (3,802).

Zoo Freeway in Milwaukee County is the busiest road, at 118,550 vehicles a day, 10,918 of them trucks (9.2%). I 41 in Racine County carries the most trucks, 16,550 a day (19.2% of its traffic), although it ranks #7 for all traffic.

Freight stands out on I 90 in Juneau County and I 41 in Kenosha County: trucks are 28.9% and 19.8% of the traffic there, against 10.2% state-wide.

I 90 in Juneau County carries longer journeys than most roads here, with a median trip of 59.5 minutes against 32.2 state-wide.

Drivers on I 94 in Waukesha County come from neighborhoods with an average household income of $113,781, 35% above the state average of $84,288.

Ranked by daily traffic (AADT)

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1Zoo FreewayMilwaukee County · Motorway · 118,550vehicles10,918trucks · 9.2%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
77.8%
Median trip time
37.6 min
Drivers’ median age
47.8 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$92,525

Travel on Zoo Freeway's busiest stretch runs 78% over free-flow time, against 13% across the state, so expect slower peak hours.

2East-West FreewayWaukesha County · Motorway · 114,814vehicles10,371trucks · 9.0%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
76.6%
Median trip time
34.8 min
Drivers’ median age
47.6 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$103,868

East-West Freeway is a trunk route for the state, carrying 30.2 times the state average on its busiest stretch; trucks are 9.0% of it, below the state-wide 10.2%.

3Airport FreewayMilwaukee County · Motorway · 112,744vehicles8,583trucks · 7.6%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
75.7%
Median trip time
37.7 min
Drivers’ median age
47.3 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$90,248

Airport Freeway carries 29.7 times the state average at its busiest, 8,583 of them trucks (7.6%, below the state-wide 10.2%).

4East-West FreewayMilwaukee County · Motorway · 110,902vehicles8,589trucks · 7.8%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
81.3%
Median trip time
29.9 min
Drivers’ median age
45.6 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$87,557

East-West Freeway is one of the more congested roads here: trips take 81% longer than at free-flow speed, against 13% state-wide.

5North-South FreewayMilwaukee County · Motorway · 98,232vehicles10,696trucks · 10.9%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
70.1%
Median trip time
36.2 min
Drivers’ median age
44.8 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$89,605

North-South Freeway carries 25.8 times the state average on its busiest stretch, where the median trip lasts 36.2 minutes.

6Beltline HighwayDane County · Motorway · 96,358vehicles9,960trucks · 10.3%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
73.6%
Median trip time
39.9 min
Drivers’ median age
43.7 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$96,224

At 25.3 times the state average, Beltline Highway draws drivers from neighborhoods averaging $96,224 in household income.

7I 41Racine County · Motorway · 86,392vehicles16,550trucks · 19.2%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
42.2%
Median trip time
49.7 min
Drivers’ median age
46.3 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$96,788

A freight route: trucks are 19.2% of the traffic on I 41's busiest stretch, 1.9 times the state-wide 10.2%.

8North-South FreewayRacine County · Motorway · 84,712vehicles15,735trucks · 18.6%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
49.1%
Median trip time
48.7 min
Drivers’ median age
46.4 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$93,811

Trucks make up 18.6% of North-South Freeway's traffic, against 10.2% across the state, so freight weighs heavily here.

9I 41Waukesha County · Motorway · 83,074vehicles10,117trucks · 12.2%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
43.9%
Median trip time
38.9 min
Drivers’ median age
47.5 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$92,074

A main artery: I 41's busiest stretch carries 21.8 times the state average; trucks are 12.2% of it, above the state-wide 10.2%.

10I 94Waukesha County · Motorway · 81,613vehicles7,942trucks · 9.7%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
63.8%
Median trip time
35.8 min
Drivers’ median age
49.2 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$113,781

I 94 is a trunk route for the state, carrying 21.5 times the state average on its busiest stretch; trucks are 9.7% of it, in line with the state-wide 10.2%.

Ranked by trucks per day

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1I 41Racine County · Motorway · #7 by traffic86,392vehicles16,550trucks · 19.2%
2North-South FreewayRacine County · Motorway · #8 by traffic84,712vehicles15,735trucks · 18.6%
3I 41Kenosha County · Motorway · 74,214vehicles14,654trucks · 19.8%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
44.3%
Median trip time
51.1 min
Drivers’ median age
46.6 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$102,999

I 41 carries through traffic: the median trip using it lasts 51.1 minutes, against 32.2 for the state.

4I 39Dane County · Motorway · 65,051vehicles11,692trucks · 18.0%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
45.5%
Median trip time
50.9 min
Drivers’ median age
46.3 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$95,199

I 39 carries 17.1 times the state average at its busiest, 11,692 of them trucks (18.0%, above the state-wide 10.2%).

5Zoo FreewayMilwaukee County · Motorway · #1 by traffic118,550vehicles10,918trucks · 9.2%
6North-South FreewayMilwaukee County · Motorway · #5 by traffic98,232vehicles10,696trucks · 10.9%
7East-West FreewayWaukesha County · Motorway · #2 by traffic114,814vehicles10,371trucks · 9.0%
8I 39Columbia County · Motorway · 56,911vehicles10,353trucks · 18.2%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
35.2%
Median trip time
56.7 min
Drivers’ median age
47.5 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$87,983

Drivers on I 39 are on long journeys, a median 56.7 minutes against 32.2 state-wide: a through route more than a local street.

9I 41Waukesha County · Motorway · #9 by traffic83,074vehicles10,117trucks · 12.2%
10I 90Juneau County · Motorway · 34,858vehicles10,074trucks · 28.9%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
31.7%
Median trip time
59.5 min
Drivers’ median age
50.0 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$67,712

I 90 carries 9.2 times the state average on its busiest stretch, where the median trip lasts 59.5 minutes.

How to read these road counts
  • The first number is AADT, annual average daily traffic: the vehicles passing a point on an average day, both directions combined and trucks included. On a divided highway both carriageways are added together.
  • Traffic changes along a road, with more near interchanges and towns and less in open country. Every figure for a road describes its busiest stretch in the county, so the two rankings show the same numbers for the same road.
  • The second number is the trucks on that stretch, a part of its AADT. The bar splits the AADT into cars and light vehicles (blue) and trucks (amber).
  • See segment-level AADT for any road on TrafficZoom.

Data Sources & Methodology

The data presented on this page is derived from TrafficZoom's proprietary analytics platform, which aggregates and normalizes information from multiple sources, including:

Mobile device location data (anonymized and aggregated)

Road sensor networks and traffic counters

Historical traffic pattern databases

Public traffic count programs published by the

WisconsinDepartment of Transportation

Demographic Baseline for O-D Modeling

U.S. Census Bureau
All metrics represent estimates based on statistical modeling and are intended for strategic planning purposes.
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Data current as of:
Q3 2026

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States near Wisconsin

The same traffic breakdown for the states closest to Wisconsin.

Need segment-level traffic data?

Identify traffic patterns street by street and analyze the exact corridors that matter to your project.

Counties in Wisconsin

Traffic counts, truck share, congestion and driver demographics for each of the 72 counties TrafficZoom measures in Wisconsin.