One-tank trips from Madison

35 destinations you can reach and return on one 400-mile tank — closest is Freeport at 133.7 mi round trip

35 destinationsassumes a 400-mi tank~15.8 gal max usedest. fuel $55.29 at $3.50/galestimated drive times

35 destinations sit inside one 400-mile tank of Madison, from Freeport at 133.7 mi round trip to Burlington at 394.9 mi. Every figure below is a v1 seed estimate.

The list below mixes day trips you can run on a whim with overnights that still spend less than $55.29 of fuel. Sort it however you like — the table shows every round-trip mileage, gallon count and dollar figure so you can rebuild the ranking for your own tank.

All 35 one-tank destinations

Round-trip miles are twice the estimated one-way road distance. A destination makes the list between 60 and 200 one-way miles — inside a 400-mile tank with reserve to spare.

TownStateRound tripOne-way timeGallonsEst. fuelTrip type
ChicagoIllinois269.1 mi2 h 3510.8 gal$37.67Day trip
MilwaukeeWisconsin184.2 mi1 h 467.4 gal$25.79Day trip
JolietIllinois278.2 mi2 h 4011.1 gal$38.95Day trip
RockfordIllinois140.5 mi1 h 455.6 gal$19.67Day trip
Cedar RapidsIowa303.4 mi2 h 5512.1 gal$42.48Day trip
RochesterMinnesota368.0 mi3 h 3214.7 gal$51.52Day trip
RochesterMinnesota368.0 mi3 h 3214.7 gal$51.52Day trip
Green BayWisconsin266.7 mi2 h 3410.7 gal$37.34Day trip
DavenportIowa270.1 mi2 h 3610.8 gal$37.81Day trip
GaryIndiana322.3 mi3 h 0612.9 gal$45.12Day trip
Iowa CityIowa321.3 mi3 h 0512.9 gal$44.98Day trip
AppletonWisconsin210.7 mi2 h 028.4 gal$29.50Day trip
Eau ClaireWisconsin350.0 mi3 h 2214.0 gal$49.00Day trip
OshkoshWisconsin191.7 mi1 h 517.7 gal$26.84Day trip
DubuqueIowa183.7 mi1 h 467.3 gal$25.72Day trip
La CrosseWisconsin231.1 mi2 h 139.2 gal$32.35Day trip
SheboyganWisconsin212.8 mi2 h 038.5 gal$29.79Day trip
Fond du LacWisconsin161.1 mi1 h 336.4 gal$22.55Day trip
WausauWisconsin287.8 mi2 h 4611.5 gal$40.29Day trip
ManitowocWisconsin246.4 mi2 h 229.9 gal$34.50Day trip
ValparaisoIndiana358.3 mi3 h 2714.3 gal$50.16Day trip
Crown PointIndiana340.4 mi3 h 1613.6 gal$47.66Day trip
Stevens PointWisconsin221.3 mi2 h 088.9 gal$30.98Day trip
BurlingtonIowa394.9 mi3 h 4815.8 gal$55.29Day trip
ClintonIowa206.6 mi1 h 598.3 gal$28.92Day trip
FreeportIllinois133.7 mi1 h 405.3 gal$18.72Day trip
MarshfieldWisconsin256.8 mi2 h 2810.3 gal$35.95Day trip
DixonIllinois187.8 mi1 h 487.5 gal$26.29Day trip
SterlingIllinois198.0 mi1 h 547.9 gal$27.72Day trip
PlattevilleWisconsin144.8 mi1 h 495.8 gal$20.27Day trip
PeruIllinois265.3 mi2 h 3310.6 gal$37.14Day trip
RochelleIllinois178.1 mi1 h 437.1 gal$24.93Day trip
RhinelanderWisconsin389.7 mi3 h 4515.6 gal$54.56Day trip
PrincetonIllinois259.0 mi2 h 2910.4 gal$36.26Day trip
GalenaIllinois168.6 mi1 h 376.7 gal$23.60Day trip

The spread runs from Freeport at 133.7 mi round trip to Burlington at 394.9 mi — about 5.3 to 15.8 gallons of fuel. "Day trip" marks anything inside 4 hours one way; the rest still fit the tank, they just deserve the night.

The picks

How these were ranked: the day list weighs town size, county-seat walkability and drive time; the overnight list weighs estimated hotel depth. Every number repeats the table above, so nothing new to trust — just a shorter list to read.

Five day trips (leave by 9, home for dinner)

Chicago, Illinois

269.1 mi round trip · 2 h 35 out · 10.8 gal ($37.67)

Chicago is the big-city anchor of this ring — about 2,696,000 people, 2 h 35 from Madison, with a full metro of food and museums. Leave by 9:00 am, spend about 2½ hours, and you are back in Madison around 4:40 pm — the fuel column says 10.8 gallons of the tank each way you turn it.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

184.2 mi round trip · 1 h 46 out · 7.4 gal ($25.79)

A 1 h 46 estimated drive puts you in Milwaukee (577,000 people) with evening to spare — the ring's largest destination. Leave by 9:00 am, spend about 2½ hours, and you are back in Madison around 3:02 pm — the fuel column says 7.4 gallons of the tank each way you turn it.

Rockford, Illinois

140.5 mi round trip · 1 h 45 out · 5.6 gal ($19.67)

A 1 h 45 estimated drive puts you in Rockford (148,655 people) with evening to spare — the ring's largest destination. Leave by 9:00 am, spend about 2½ hours, and you are back in Madison around 3:00 pm — the fuel column says 5.6 gallons of the tank each way you turn it.

Rochester, Minnesota

368.0 mi round trip · 3 h 32 out · 14.7 gal ($51.52)

Rochester brings the metro options: 121,395 residents and the deepest hotel pool within 3 h 32 of Madison. Leave by 9:00 am, spend about 2½ hours, and you are back in Madison around 6:34 pm — the fuel column says 14.7 gallons of the tank each way you turn it.

Joliet, Illinois

278.2 mi round trip · 2 h 40 out · 11.1 gal ($38.95)

Joliet (150,362 people, the Will County seat) is 2 h 40 away and punches above its weight for a town its size. Leave by 9:00 am, spend about 2½ hours, and you are back in Madison around 4:50 pm — the fuel column says 11.1 gallons of the tank each way you turn it.

Three that earn an overnight

Chicago, Illinois

269.1 mi round trip · 2 h 35 out

An estimated 28 hotels and 2,696,000 neighbors make Chicago a low-stress overnight. Drive out Saturday morning, sleep, come back slow — the round trip still spends only 10.8 gallons.

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Rates →

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

184.2 mi round trip · 1 h 46 out

An estimated 28 hotels and 577,000 neighbors make Milwaukee a low-stress overnight. Drive out Saturday morning, sleep, come back slow — the round trip still spends only 7.4 gallons.

Rates →

Rockford, Illinois

140.5 mi round trip · 1 h 45 out

An estimated 18 hotels and 148,655 neighbors make Rockford a low-stress overnight. Drive out Saturday morning, sleep, come back slow — the round trip still spends only 5.6 gallons.

Rates →
Hotels in Chicago — next Saturday

The fuel math, in five sentences

One tank means round-trip miles under the 400-mile default with margin: we keep one-way trips at or under 200 miles so you roll home above empty. Fuel use is miles divided by 25 mpg — the thirstiest loop here (394.9 mi) works out to 15.8 gallons, about $55.29 at $3.50 a gallon. Because our miles are estimated, not routed, add a gallon of headroom. Hills, roof boxes and city crawling all shave range. If your tank runs smaller than 400 miles, drop the farthest rows first.

Common questions

How far can you get from Madison on one tank?
About 200 one-way miles on our 400-mile-tank assumption — the farthest row in the table is Burlington at 394.9 mi round trip.
Is Chicago a day trip from Madison?
Yes — 2 h 35 each way leaves more than half the day on the ground.
What if your tank is smaller than 400 miles?
Cut the farthest rows first: anything over 170 one-way miles gets tight below a 340-mile usable tank. The gallons column lets you re-rank for your own car.
Where should you stay overnight on these trips?
Chicago leads our overnight picks — an estimated 28 hotels about 2 h 35 out. The Saturday button above checks dates for you.

Keep planning

Data & method

Method: v1 seed model. Round-trip miles are twice the estimated road distance (straight-line times a road factor). Fuel figures assume a 400-mile tank, a 25 mpg car, and $3.50 per gallon. Lodging counts are population-derived estimates. We earn a commission from Kayak links.