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Major city · United States

Wausau

Give Wausau one full day plus a second for Rib Mountain or Granite Peak; base downtown or at the US-51 exits, and drive — buses run every 30–60 min.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
Jun–Sep for trails and baseball; Dec–Mar for skiing
avoid Nov and Apr (mud season, lifts and trails often closed)
Airports
CWA · AUW
Nights
1–2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.

Wausau is a small city on the Wisconsin River in North Central Wisconsin, about 80,000 people in the metro, with a compact downtown and a ski hill on Rib Mountain four miles southwest. It works as a one- or two-night stop on a Wisconsin road trip, not as a destination in itself. A car makes everything easy; without one, the spread-out sights get slow.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Wausau, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee$3–6
  • Street or quick mealDiner breakfast$10–16
  • Beerdraught in a bar / six-pack at a store$5–8$9–13
  • Taxi, about 5 km5 mi (8 km) taxi or ridesharecheck$15–25
  • Metro or bus rideMetro Ride single fare$2 (check)
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entry (Woodson Art Museum is free)$0–10
  • Budget bedFamily room or suite (up to 4), a night, per roomUS$150
  • Mid-range bedMid-range hotel double room, a night, per roomUS$140
  • High-end bedMid-range hotel double room, a night, per roomUS$220

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$70 · Mid US$130 · High US$220

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Rib Mountain State ParkGranite Peak Ski AreaLeigh Yawkey Woodson Art MuseumBirds in Art exhibitionWausau Woodchucks baseball
Airports
CWA Central Wisconsin Airport, Mosinee (About 12 mi (19 km) south of Wausau; daily flights to Chicago O'Hare, Minneapolis and Detroit) · AUW Wausau Downtown Airport (General aviation only; no scheduled airline service)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Wausau: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

−5°C

−15°C

9 rd

Feb

−2°C

−13°C

8 rd

Mar

4°C

−7°C

9 rd

Apr

12°C

0°C

10 rd

May

19°C

6°C

11 rd

Jun

24°C

11°C

11 rd

Jul

27°C

14°C

10 rd

Aug

26°C

13°C

10 rd

Sep

21°C

9°C

10 rd

Oct

13°C

3°C

10 rd

Nov

4°C

−4°C

10 rd

Dec

−3°C

−12°C

10 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Drive. Roads are well kept and parking outside downtown is free and at the door; downtown parking is cheap and easy to find. Metro Ride runs eight city routes at 30-minute intervals plus one route each to Weston and to Rothschild/Schofield, with transfers at 555 Jefferson Street downtown. For a north-to-south trip, use the US-51/I-39 expressway along the west edge instead of city streets.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Stevens Point

go

Door to door: About 50 min

I-39/US-51 south, about 45 mi (72 km)

University town with a riverfront and a small downtown; pairs with a brewery stop.

Marshfield

go

Door to door: About 1 h

State Highway 29 west, about 60 mi (97 km)

Half-day for the zoo and the medical-history museum; not worth a full day.

Medford

caution

Door to door: About 45 min

State Highway 29 west, about 45 mi (72 km)

Small town; go only if you are already heading west.

Shawano

caution

Door to door: About 1 h 10 min

State Highway 29 east, about 65 mi (105 km)

Lakes and a small downtown; better as a stop en route to Green Bay.

Rhinelander

overnight

Door to door: About 1 h 20 min

US-51 north, about 75 mi (120 km)

Gateway to the Northwoods lakes; too far for a comfortable same-day return.

Green Lake, Wisconsin

caution

Door to door: About 1 h 45 min

State Highway 29 east then US-51 south, about 100 mi (160 km)

A long day; go for the lake and stay the night if you can.

Rudolph

skip

Door to door: About 40 min

State Highway 34 south, about 35 mi (56 km)

Tiny village; no reason to detour unless you are passing.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Downtown Wausau

Walk to the 3rd Street shops, the Grand Theater and the river; two B&Bs and one full-service hotel.

US-51 exits south and west (Rothschild, North Mountain Road, Stewart Avenue)

The motel strip: free at-door parking, easy on/off the expressway, 10–15 min drive to downtown.

Weston (State Highway 29 at Camp Phillips Road)

Newer roadside hotels with pools; best if you are heading east toward Green Bay or Shawano.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
$70–110 excl. bed
Mid
$120–190 excl. bed
High
$200+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Mid-range hotel double room1 × 1 night × US$140US$140
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × US$130US$260
Rental car, one day1 × US$60 · checkUS$60
Granite Peak adult one-day lift ticket2 × US$52 · checkUS$104
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$25US$50
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$61
Trip total≈ US$338 per person per day, bed includedUS$675

2026 estimate in US dollars; flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee$3–6
Diner breakfast$10–16
Friday fish fry$14–22
Beer: draught in a bar / six-pack at a store$5–8 / $9–13
5 mi (8 km) taxi or ridesharecheck$15–25
Metro Ride single fare$2 (check)
Museum entry (Woodson Art Museum is free)$0–10

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Wausau is a low-risk small city; the real hazards are winter driving on I-39/US-51 and Highway 29, deer on rural roads at dusk, and thin ice on the Wisconsin River — never walk on it.
  • Buses are clean but infrequent: a 30–60 min wait is normal, so plan around one or two rides, not a full day.
  • Ski season at Granite Peak usually runs mid-November to mid-March and depends on conditions — check before booking a ski weekend.
  • Lodging fills and rates jump on Artrageous Weekend (early September) and ski weekends: book ahead.
  • Winter driving: snow and ice on I-39/US-51 and Highway 29 are routine from December to March.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

WausauWausau

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911

Embassy

No consulates in Wausau; the nearest are in Chicago and Minneapolis. US passport agencies: Chicago and Minneapolis (check).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • CWA → downtown Wausau, taxi or rideshare: about $35–50, 20–25 min (check)
  • Metro Ride single fare: $2 (check)
  • Granite Peak adult one-day lift ticket: from $52; night skiing from $28 (check)

Say or show

  • Thank you — Thank you
  • Please — Please
  • Where is the restroom? — Where is the restroom?
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?
  • How much is it? — How much is it?
  • I need help — I need help

Tipping: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Wausau. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Jun–Sep for trails and baseball; Dec–Mar for skiing · avoid Nov and Apr (mud season, lifts and trails often closed) · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 7 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for CWA: last flight arrivals, taxi and rideshare fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: downtown and the river, the Woodson Art Museum, Rib Mountain, and the US-51 motel strip.
  3. Place pages with verified hours and cutoffs (Woodson Art Museum, Marathon County Historical Museums, Rib Mountain State Park, Granite Peak) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Winter and festival fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources