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Trip from Earlville, IL to Bloomington, IL

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 43m

Distance

88.4 mi

142 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$14

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 23 min
4 AM
1h 36m ★
6 AM
1h 43m
8 AM
1h 59m
10 AM
1h 49m
12 PM
1h 47m
3 PM
1h 49m
5 PM
1h 58m
8 PM
1h 39m

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

Downtown Earlville, IL, IL

Earlville, IL

Tom Fisk

Trip Overview

The drive from Earlville, IL to Bloomington, IL covers 88.4 miles and takes about 1h 43m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 39, US 34, US 51 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 71.2 miles on I 39. At current regular gas prices, budget about $13.82 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

44.2 miles from Earlville, IL

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 52m into the drive .

About the Cities

Arriving in Bloomington, IL

Full guide →

Bloomington, pop. 77,000 (2010 census), is a city in the Midwestern state of Illinois in the United States of America, on the classic Route 66 highway across the country. With neighboring Normal, pop. 52,000 (2010 census), it forms a combined community of about 130,000 known locally as the Twin Cities. Illinois Wesleyan University is in Bloomington, and is not to be confused with Illinois State University in Normal.

Top landmarks

  • David Davis Mansion — house museum in Bloomington, Illinois
  • Bloomington Central Business District — historic and central business district in Bloomington, McLean County, Illinois,...
  • George H. Miller House — Bloomington, Illinois, listed on the National Register of Historic Places

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 43m. Total distance: 88.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 43m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (96%). Straightforward navigation.

Drive Character

This is a 1h 43m highway drive covering 88.4 miles, with most of the trip on I 39 and US 34. The longest continuous stretch is about 71.2 miles on I 39.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 11 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 39 is the longest continuous segment at about 71.2 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 39 and US 34. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 9.5 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 43m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 9.5 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 81 miles (US 51): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 85.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 8 key points

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

5
9.5 mi into trip | ~15m in

Take the ramp toward I 39 South, US 51 South: LaSalle, Peru

Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 39 South, US 51 South: LaSalle, Peru
6
81 mi into trip | ~1h 32m in | US 51

Keep slight right at fork onto US 51 toward I 55 South, US 51 South: Peoria, Champaign, Saint Louis, Decatur

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 55 South, US 51 South: Peoria, Champai...
8
85.9 mi into trip | ~1h 37m in

Take the exit toward US 150, IL 9: Pekin

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

Use the left lane. Exit 160 Toward US 150, IL 9: Pekin
5
86.2 mi into trip | ~1h 37m in | US 150; IL 9 / West Market Street

Turn left onto US 150; IL 9 / West Market Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
88.3 mi into trip | ~1h 42m in | US 51 Business / North East Street

At end of road, turn left onto US 51 Business / North East Street

Navigation decision point

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Earlville, IL and Bloomington, IL, road signs point toward Peru, Champaign, Saint Louis and Decatur.

Peru

9.5 mi in | ~15m

Champaign

81 mi in | ~1h 32m | via US 51

Saint Louis

81 mi in | ~1h 32m | via US 51

Decatur

81 mi in | ~1h 32m | via US 51

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 39 71.2 mi 1h 16m
US 34 8.7 mi 13m
US 51 4.8 mi 5m
West Market Street 2 mi 5m
South Ottawa Street 0.7 mi 1m
North East Street 0.1 mi <1m
County Highway 41 0.1 mi <1m
West Winthrop Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 39 — 71.2 mi, about 1h 16m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Earlville, IL and Bloomington, IL.

1

Start on West Winthrop Street

135 ft · 6 sec · West Winthrop Street
2

Turn right onto South Ottawa Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · South Ottawa Street
3

Continue on CH 41

0.1 mi · 16 sec · County Highway 41
4

Turn right onto US 34

8.7 mi · 13 min · US 34
5

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 41 sec
Toward I 39 South, US 51 South: LaSalle, Peru
6

Merge onto I 39; US 51

71 mi · 1 hr 16 min · I 39; US 51
7

Keep slight right at fork onto US 51

4.8 mi · 5 min · US 51
Toward I 55 South, US 51 South: Peoria, Champaign, Saint Louis, Decatur
8

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 45 sec
Exit 160 Toward US 150, IL 9: Pekin Use the left lane.
9

Turn left onto US 150; IL 9

2.0 mi · 5 min · West Market Street
Use the left lane.
10

At end of road, turn left onto US 51 Business

0.1 mi · 20 sec · North East Street
11

Arrive at destination

US 51 Business

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 44.2 miles from Earlville, IL, or about 52m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 71.2 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 19 miles or 25m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 44.2 miles or 52m 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 25m

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

Before You Leave

+

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

Day 1

Settle into the route from Earlville, IL

This is one driving day of about 88.4 miles and 1h 43m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 19 miles from Earlville, IL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on I 39 for about 71.2 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 44.2 mi from Earlville, IL · 52m into the drive

Downtown Minonk, IL, IL

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Minonk, IL

44 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

La Salle, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 19 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Toluca, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 44.2 miles from Earlville, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before I 39 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 71.2 miles.

Arriving in Bloomington, IL

The final approach into Bloomington, 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.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$13.82 one way

$27.64 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 31 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $15.17 $30.35
premium $4.89 $17.01 $34.02
diesel $5.61 $19.52 $39.04

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$14

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$39–$64

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 30.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $9 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 26.5 0 $9.28 $4.24
Efficient EV 22.1 0 $7.74 $3.54
EV Truck/SUV 35.4 0 $12.38 $5.66

Gas CO2

31 kg

EV CO2

10 kg (68% 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 18, 2026

Origin

Earlville, IL

Morning in Earlville on Saturday

Local time

10:11 AM

CDT

Current temp

71°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Bloomington, IL

Morning in Bloomington on Saturday

Local time

10:11 AM

CDT

Current temp

52°F

Mostly Sunny

WNW 18 mph 10% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 18 at 5:50AM CDT until April 21 at 4:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 18 at 5:48AM CDT by NWS Chicago IL

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

19 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 43m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Earlville, IL to Bloomington, IL covers 88.4 miles and takes about 1h 43m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are I 39, US 34, US 51. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 44.2 miles from Earlville, IL. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $13.82 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 43m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

The main spots that need attention: at 9.5 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 81 miles (US 51): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 85.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Between Earlville, IL and Bloomington, IL, road signs point toward Peru, Champaign, Saint Louis and Decatur.

How this page is built

Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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