If you live in Monroe or Clark County and you've been Googling "car rental near me" only to get results in Eau Claire or La Crosse — keep reading.
Here's a small frustration most western Wisconsin drivers know well: you need a rental car, you search online, and the top results route you to the Eau Claire airport (45+ minutes) or La Crosse Regional (also 45+ minutes). The local map is dominated by national chains who price-anchor against airport demand and don't actually have a counter near you.
The closer option is sitting right off Exit 116 on I-94. Riverside Auto Rental has been independently owned and operated in Black River Falls since 1983 — and we're the closest non-chain rental for drivers in Tomah, Sparta, Neillsville, Warrens, Melrose, and most of Monroe and Clark counties.
For comparison: from any of those starting points, the Eau Claire airport is 45-70 minutes away. La Crosse Regional is roughly the same. The math favors the local option for almost everyone in this corridor.
Renting from an aggregator-routed national chain on a typical "near me" search has three hidden costs:
1. Airport surcharges. National airport rentals often add facility fees and surcharges on top of the daily rate you see in search results. The local-result number isn't always the number at the counter.
2. Different mileage rules week to week. Some national chain rate plans bundle limited mileage into the weekly rate, with overage fees beyond a daily cap. Our weekly unlimited rates skip the cap entirely — $450/week for an intermediate car, $750/week for a 15-passenger van. Local-tier weekly rates start lower at $330/week if you're staying within 100 miles per day.
3. Phone trees and call centers. Try calling an Enterprise or Avis at 4:45 PM with a question about a same-day pickup. Now try calling us at the same time. We answer.
We don't carry everything. We carry what western Wisconsin actually needs:
What we don't carry: luxury sedans, exotics, or the latest model-year vehicles you'd find at a chain trying to upsell you. Our fleet is reliable, well-maintained, and priced for normal people doing normal things — family reunions, body shop replacements, business trips, sports tournaments, weddings.
"My car broke down late at night on my way to a business meeting in Eau Claire. I called Riverside Auto Rental and was able to reach Tas after hours. She immediately arranged a reliable rental for early the next morning so I wouldn't miss my appointment. They truly go above and beyond — saved the day and made a stressful situation stress-free."
"I rented a 15-passenger van for a family trip taking my daughters to a volleyball tournament in Kansas City. The entire rental process was completely seamless. Staff is super friendly, quick paperwork, and no hassle at all. The van was a perfect fit for our needs."
Most of the body shops in Tomah, Sparta, and Neillsville already know us. We've worked with adjusters, refinishers, and service writers across western Wisconsin for over four decades. If your shop hasn't worked with us before, ask them to call — most of the time they already have our number.
If you live in Monroe or Clark County and you've been driving to Eau Claire or La Crosse for car rentals because that's what showed up on Google Maps, try a phone call to 715-396-1466 instead. We're 20-30 minutes away, the rate at the counter matches what we tell you on the phone, and there's no airport line.
Want details specific to your city? We have dedicated pages for Tomah, Sparta, Neillsville, Warrens, Melrose, and Osseo.
There is no independent rental in Tomah itself. Riverside Auto Rental in Black River Falls — 20 minutes east on I-94 — is the closest option for Tomah drivers.
About 25 minutes east via I-90/I-94. Take Exit 116 for Black River Falls/WI-54.
The closest independent rental for Neillsville drivers is Riverside Auto Rental in Black River Falls — about 25 minutes west on WI-54. We coordinate same-day rentals when you call ahead.
You can — but it's a 45-70 minute drive each way, plus airport surcharges and aggregator fees that don't show up in the search-result rate. Black River Falls is closer for almost everyone in Monroe and Clark counties.
One phone call. We'll have a vehicle ready when you pull up.
Call 715-396-1466