Skip to main content

Trip from Bremen, IL to Wood River, IL

Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026

Drive Time

1h 51m

Distance

83.8 mi

135 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$13

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 24 min
4 AM
1h 44m ★
6 AM
1h 52m
8 AM
2h 8m
10 AM
1h 58m
12 PM
1h 56m
3 PM
1h 58m
5 PM
2h 7m
8 PM
1h 47m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

city in Illinois, United States

Wood River, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Bremen, IL to Wood River, IL covers 83.8 miles and takes about 1h 51m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on IL 159, South State Street, I 255 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 19.2 miles on IL 159. At current regular gas prices, budget about $13.10 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Midpoint

41.9 miles from Bremen, IL

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 57m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 51m. Total distance: 83.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 51m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (64%). Straightforward navigation.

Drive Character

This is a 1h 51m highway drive covering 83.8 miles, with most of the trip on IL 159 and South State Street. The longest continuous stretch is about 19.2 miles on IL 159.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
IL 159 is the longest continuous segment at about 19.2 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on IL 159 and South State Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 51.5 miles in.

Driving Effort 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 1h 51m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 51.5 miles: Navigation decision point; at 60 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 60.7 miles (I 255; US 50): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 7 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

4
51.5 mi into trip | ~1h 12m in

Take the ramp

Navigation decision point

5
60 mi into trip | ~1h 22m in

Take the exit toward I 255 North, US 50 North: Chicago

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 255 North, US 50 North: Chicago
5
60.7 mi into trip | ~1h 23m in | I 255; US 50

Merge onto I 255; US 50

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
80.6 mi into trip | ~1h 46m in

Take the exit toward IL 143: Wood River, Edwardsville

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Exit 6 Toward IL 143: Wood River, Edwardsville
4
83.8 mi into trip | ~1h 51m in | East Ferguson Avenue

Turn right onto East Ferguson Avenue

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
IL 159 19.2 mi 28m
South State Street 17.7 mi 22m
I 255 13.2 mi 15m
IL 15 8.4 mi 9m
Lehmen Drive 7.8 mi 8m
IL 255 6.8 mi 7m
IL 150 6.1 mi 10m
Edwardsville Road 1.6 mi 2m
Longest stretch: IL 159 — 19.2 mi, about 28m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Bremen, IL and Wood River, IL.

1

Start on Chester Road

0.2 mi · 34 sec · Chester Road
2

Turn slight right onto IL 150

6.1 mi · 10 min · IL 150
3

Turn right onto IL 3

0.5 mi · 32 sec · East Holmes Street
4

Continue on IL 3

7.8 mi · 8 min · Lehmen Drive
5

Continue on IL 3

18 mi · 22 min · South State Street
6

Continue on IL 159

19 mi · 28 min · IL 159
7

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 22 sec
8

Merge onto IL 15

8.4 mi · 9 min · IL 15
9

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Toward I 255 North, US 50 North: Chicago
10

Merge onto I 255; US 50

13 mi · 15 min · I 255; US 50
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Continue on IL 255

6.8 mi · 7 min · IL 255
12

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 24 sec
Exit 6 Toward IL 143: Wood River, Edwardsville
13

Turn straight onto IL 143

1.6 mi · 2 min · Edwardsville Road
14

Continue on IL 143

1.3 mi · 1 min · Madison Avenue
15

Turn slight right

206 ft · 7 sec
16

Turn slight right onto South Wood River Avenue

220 ft · 8 sec · South Wood River Avenue
17

Turn right onto East Ferguson Avenue

164 ft · 7 sec · East Ferguson Avenue
18

Arrive at destination

East Ferguson Avenue

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 41.9 miles from Bremen, IL, or about 57m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 19.2 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 18 miles or 25m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 41.9 miles or 57m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 1h 35m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Wood River, IL than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Bremen, IL so your first major turns are already loaded.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Bremen, IL

This is one driving day of about 83.8 miles and 1h 51m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 18 miles from Bremen, IL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on IL 159 for about 19.2 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 41.9 mi from Bremen, IL · 57m into the drive

Downtown Freeburg, IL, IL

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Freeburg, IL

42 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Chester, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 18 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Freeburg, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 41.9 miles from Bremen, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Wood River, IL

The final approach into Wood River, IL usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Nearby Places

Restaurants, cafes, gas stations and more along your route.

Sonic Drive-In

4.1 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the end, ~9 min detour

3.7 mi from route ~9 min detour $10 to $20 mile 77.8

Edwardsville, Illinois

Hours: 7 am–10 pm

+16186551281

Visit website

Wasabi Sushi Bar

4.3 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the end, ~12 min detour

4.9 mi from route ~12 min detour $10 to $20 mile 77.8

Edwardsville, Illinois

Hours: 11:30 am–9 pm

+16186559880

Visit website

Domino's Pizza

3.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Near the end, ~12 min detour

4.8 mi from route ~12 min detour Inexpensiv mile 77.8

Edwardsville, Illinois

Hours: 10:30 am–12 pm

+16186921515

Visit website

Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$13.10 one way

$26.20 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 29 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $14.38 $28.77
premium $4.89 $16.13 $32.25
diesel $5.61 $18.50 $37.00

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$13

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$38–$63

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 29.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $9 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 25.1 0 $8.80 $4.02
Efficient EV 21 0 $7.33 $3.35
EV Truck/SUV 33.5 0 $11.73 $5.36

Gas CO2

29 kg

EV CO2

10 kg (66% less)

This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.

DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Apr 17, 2026

Origin

Bremen, IL

Night in Bremen on Thursday

Local time

10:19 PM

CDT

Current temp

78°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Wood River, IL

Night in Wood River on Thursday

Local time

10:19 PM

CDT

Current temp

77°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

Time zone

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

1 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

1h 51m on the road

Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Bremen, IL to Wood River, IL covers 83.8 miles and takes about 1h 51m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are IL 159, South State Street, I 255. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 41.9 miles from Bremen, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $13.10 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a straightforward 1h 51m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 51.5 miles: Navigation decision point; at 60 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 60.7 miles (I 255; US 50): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Bremen, IL to Wood River, IL does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

More trips to Wood River, IL

Explore more options from Bremen, IL or browse trips ending in Wood River, IL.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.

Explore maps for Bremen, IL or Wood River, IL on MapSof.net.