Transportation in Wisconsin

Vehicles, public transit, airports, traffic and commuting.

Households without a vehicle
6.7%
2024 · Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates
Workers commuting by public transit
1.4%
2024 · Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates
Passengers boarded at all commercial airports in Wisconsin
5,290,196
2025 · FAA Air Carrier Activity Information System
Traffic fatalities
595
2024 · NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System
Mean travel time to work
22.7
2024 · Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates
Bridges in poor condition
6.7%
2025 · FHWA National Bridge Inventory

Vehicles

Cars and registrations.

Households without a vehicle
6.7%
2024 · Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates
EV share of new sales
3.5%
Vehicles per household
2.0

Households without a vehicle

2006–2024
6.7%

Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates, B08201 (2020 not released).

IndicatorWisconsinU.S.
EV share of new sales (%)3.59.3
  • •EV adoption in Wisconsin lags the national rate, though charging along I-94 has expanded quickly.

Public Transit

Buses and rail.

Workers commuting by public transit
1.4%
2024 · Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates
Transit share of commuting
1.4%
Largest systems
MCTS, Madison Metro
Rail service
Amtrak Hiawatha & Borealis

Workers commuting by public transit

2006–2024
1.4%

Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates, share of workers 16+, B08301 (2020 not released).

IndicatorWisconsinU.S.
Transit share of commuting (%)1.43.1
  • •The Amtrak Borealis, launched in 2024, added a second daily Milwaukee-Saint Paul train.

Airports

Air travel.

Passengers boarded at all commercial airports in Wisconsin
5,290,196
2025 · FAA Air Carrier Activity Information System
Passengers boarded at General Mitchell International (MKE)
2,889,040
2025 · FAA calendar-year enplanements.
Commercial airports
8
Busiest airport
Milwaukee Mitchell (MKE)

Passengers boarded at all commercial airports in Wisconsin

2011–2025
5,290,196▼ 16%

FAA Air Carrier Activity Information System, calendar-year commercial-service enplanements.

Passengers boarded at General Mitchell International (MKE)

2011–2025
2,889,040▼ 38%

FAA calendar-year enplanements.

IndicatorWisconsinU.S.
Annual air passengers (M)7860
  • •Milwaukee Mitchell handles about seven million passengers a year, a fraction of nearby O'Hare.

Traffic

Congestion and travel.

Traffic fatalities
595
2024 · NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System
Fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles
0.9
2024 · NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System
Fatality rate
9.9 /100k
Trend
Slowly falling

Traffic fatalities

1994–2024
595▼ 16%

NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), State Traffic Data.

Fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles

1994–2024
0.86▼ 39%

NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), State Traffic Data.

IndicatorWisconsinU.S.
Traffic fatalities per 100k9.912.2
  • •Wisconsin's road fatality rate is below the U.S. average, but alcohol is involved in roughly a third of deaths.

Commuting Patterns

How people get to work.

Mean travel time to work
22.7
2024 · Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates
Workers who drive alone
75.1%
2024 · Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates
Workers who work from home
11.8%
2024 · Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates
Average commute
22.4 min
Drive alone
80%

Mean travel time to work

2006–2024
22.7▲ 9%

Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates, aggregate travel time ÷ workers not working at home, B08013/B08012 (2020 not released).

Workers who drive alone

2006–2024
75.1%

Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates, share of workers 16+, B08301 (2020 not released).

Workers who work from home

2006–2024
11.8%

Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates, share of workers 16+, B08301 (2020 not released).

IndicatorWisconsinU.S.
Average commute (min)22.426.8
  • •Wisconsin has one of the shortest average commutes in the country.

Infrastructure

Roads and bridges.

Bridges in poor condition
6.7%
2025 · FHWA National Bridge Inventory
Bridges in good condition
46.6%
2025 · FHWA National Bridge Inventory
Total highway bridges
14,498
2025 · FHWA National Bridge Inventory
Vehicle miles traveled
69,186
2024 · FHWA vehicle miles traveled as published with NHTSA FARS

Bridges in poor condition

2000–2025
6.7%

FHWA National Bridge Inventory, Bridge Condition by Highway System (as of June each year).

Bridges in good condition

2000–2025
46.6%

FHWA National Bridge Inventory, Bridge Condition by Highway System (as of June each year).

Total highway bridges

2000–2025
14,498▲ 8%

FHWA National Bridge Inventory, Bridge Condition by Highway System (as of June each year).

Vehicle miles traveled

1994–2024
69,186▲ 38%

FHWA vehicle miles traveled as published with NHTSA FARS (fatalities ÷ fatality rate per 100M VMT).

IndicatorWisconsinU.S.
Bridges in poor condition (%)2.86.8
  • •Wisconsin's bridges are among the best maintained in the country, while its pavement ratings lag behind.