This 91.4-mile drive from Laurel to Bloomington, Indiana, is a manageable one-day trip, taking about 2 hours and 21 minutes. You'll primarily be on SR 46 and State Road 3, with a segment on Van Buren Street. With a fuel cost estimated at $15, this route offers a budget-friendly excursion. The mixed drive profile suggests a varied experience as you travel through the Midwest. This journey is well-suited for a single day, allowing for flexibility in your schedule without the need for an overnight stop.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
45.7 miles from Laurel, IN
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 17m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 21m. Total distance: 91.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Expect a mixed drive on this 91.4-mile route, with about 40% of it being highway. You'll experience a 21.6-mile stretch on SR 46, which forms the longest uninterrupted segment. The road's personality shifts, offering a blend of faster highway sections and potentially more local road driving as you progress toward Bloomington. This variation means you won't be stuck in a monotonous interstate grind for the entire 2 hours and 21 minutes.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 26 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
SR 46 is the longest continuous segment at about 21.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West Pearl Street.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 21m drive. You will face about 15 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West Pearl Street): Navigation decision point; near the start (SR 121 / Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 4.1 miles (Old US Highway 52): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 15 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip|~0m in|West Pearl Street
Turn left onto West Pearl Street
Navigation decision point
5
0 mi into trip|~0m in|SR 121 / Washington Street
Turn right onto SR 121 / Washington Street
Navigation decision point
5
4.1 mi into trip|~13m in|Old US Highway 52
At end of road, turn left onto Old US Highway 52
Navigation decision point
5
4.2 mi into trip|~14m in|US 52
Turn sharp right onto US 52
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
5
91.4 mi into trip|~2h 21m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
SR 46
21.6 mi
31m
Van Buren Street
18.2 mi
21m
State Road 3
16.3 mi
23m
SR 244
10.3 mi
18m
Jonathan Moore Pike
8.4 mi
12m
County Road 50 North
4.4 mi
7m
Old US Hwy 52
2.5 mi
9m
US 52
2.1 mi
3m
Longest stretch:
SR 46
— 21.6 mi, about 31m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Laurel, IN and Bloomington, IN.
1
Start on this road
30 ft·7 sec·this road
2
Turn left onto West Pearl Street
84 ft·6 sec·West Pearl Street
3
Turn right onto SR 121
0.1 mi·15 sec·Washington Street
4
Turn slight right onto SR 121
0.1 mi·15 sec·West Main Street
5
Continue on SR 121
0.9 mi·1 min·Toner Street
6
Turn right onto Old US Hwy 52
2.5 mi·9 min·Old US Hwy 52
7
Turn left onto Hensley Road
366 ft·16 sec·Hensley Road
8
Turn right onto Lake Street
0.4 mi·1 min·Lake Street
9
At end of road, turn left onto Old US Highway 52
157 ft·12 sec·Old US Highway 52
10
Turn sharp right onto US 52
2.1 mi·3 min·US 52
11
Turn left onto SR 244
10 mi·18 min·SR 244
12
Turn left onto SR 3
16 mi·23 min·State Road 3
13
Continue on SR 46
12 mi·17 min·SR 46
14
Continue on 25th Street
1.0 mi·1 min·25th Street
15
Turn left onto County Road 650 East
1.0 mi·1 min·County Road 650 East
16
Turn right onto County Road 50 North
4.4 mi·7 min·County Road 50 North
17
Turn right onto US 31
0.4 mi·40 sec·North National Road
18
Turn left onto 10th Street
1.5 mi·2 min·10th Street
19
Turn left onto Central Avenue
0.7 mi·1 min·Central Avenue
20
Turn right onto SR 46
1.3 mi·2 min·3rd Street
21
Continue on Jonathan Moore Pike
8.4 mi·12 min·Jonathan Moore Pike
22
Continue on SR 46
9.2 mi·13 min·SR 46
23
Turn left onto SR 46
18 mi·21 min·Van Buren Street
24
Turn right onto South Indiana Avenue
452 ft·16 sec·South Indiana Avenue
25
Turn right
99 ft·7 sec
26
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
Given the 2 hour and 21 minute duration and 91.4-mile length, this trip is perfect for a day excursion. You could depart in the morning and be in Bloomington by lunchtime. Since the longest stretch is 21.6 miles on SR 46, plan for a single fuel stop if your tank is low before you leave Laurel, as dedicated services might be less frequent between towns. The $15 fuel cost suggests that keeping your tank topped up won't be a significant expense, so focus on enjoying the varied terrain as you make your way.
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 45.7 miles from Laurel, IN, or about 1h 17m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 21.6 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 20 miles or 40m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 45.7 miles or 1h 17m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 1m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Bloomington, IN than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Laurel, IN so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Laurel, IN
This is one driving day of about 91.4 miles and 2h 21m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 20 miles from Laurel, IN.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on SR 46 for about 21.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 45.7 mi from Laurel, IN
· 1h 17m into the drive
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$14.29 one way
$28.58 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg32 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$15.69
$31.38
premium
$4.89
$17.59
$35.18
diesel
$5.61
$20.18
$40.36
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: 32 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $10 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
27.4
0
$9.60
$4.39
Efficient EV
22.9
0
$8.00
$3.66
EV Truck/SUV
36.6
0
$12.80
$5.85
Gas CO2
32 kg
EV CO2
11 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 15, 2026
Origin
Laurel, IN
Morning
in Laurel on Friday
Local time
7:00 AM
EDT
Current temp
53°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Bloomington, IN
Morning
in Bloomington on Friday
Local time
7:00 AM
EDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
68°F
Columbus, IN
46 mi in
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
21 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
2h 21m 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 Laurel, IN to Bloomington, IN covers 91.4 miles and takes about 2h 21m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are SR 46, Van Buren Street, State Road 3. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 45.7 miles from Laurel, IN. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $14.29 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 2h 21m drive. You will face about 15 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West Pearl Street): Navigation decision point; near the start (SR 121 / Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 4.1 miles (Old US Highway 52): Navigation decision point.
The route from Laurel, IN to Bloomington, IN does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from
OSRM
over
OpenStreetMap.
Fuel cost uses
EIA
weekly regional averages.
Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our
methodology page
documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
