Blooming Grove to Indianapolis is 73.8 miles and takes about 1 hour 46 minutes via I 74 and surface roads, with a fuel budget near $12 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Indiana, moving from the Midwest region to another part of the Midwest. The majority of your travel will be on well-maintained roads, making it a straightforward drive. Given the relatively short distance and duration, this is an easy same-day trip, offering flexibility for when you choose to depart and arrive.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
36.9 miles from Blooming Grove, IN
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 58m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 74
21.6 mi
23m
East 1st Street
16.8 mi
25m
West 3rd Street
16.4 mi
24m
Church Street
10.7 mi
18m
Southeastern Avenue
5 mi
7m
East Washington Street
1 mi
3m
East 5th Street
0.5 mi
<1m
North Eastern Avenue
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
I 74
— 21.6 mi, about 23m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Blooming Grove, IN and Indianapolis, IN.
1
Start on Stone Church Road
32 ft·7 sec·Stone Church Road
2
Turn left onto SR 1
11 mi·18 min·Church Street
3
At end of road, turn left onto SR 1; SR 44
0.5 mi·50 sec·East 5th Street
4
Turn left onto SR 44
0.2 mi·16 sec·North Eastern Avenue
5
Turn right onto SR 44
16 mi·24 min·West 3rd Street
6
Turn left onto SR 44 Truck
226 ft·5 sec·North Perkins Street
7
Turn right onto SR 44 Truck
17 mi·25 min·East 1st Street
8
Take the ramp
0.1 mi·18 sec
Toward I 74 West, US 421 North: Indianapolis
9
Merge onto I 74; US 421
22 mi·23 min·I 74; US 421
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on this road
1.2 mi·1 min·this road
Exit 94Toward Southeastern Avenue
11
Continue on Southeastern Avenue
3.6 mi·5 min·Southeastern Avenue
12
Enter roundabout onto Southeastern Avenue
106 ft·5 sec·Southeastern Avenue
13
Continue on Southeastern Avenue
1.4 mi·2 min·Southeastern Avenue
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
14
Turn left onto East Washington Street
1.0 mi·3 min·East Washington Street
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
15
Turn right onto North Illinois Street
0.1 mi·22 sec·North Illinois Street
Use the right lane.
16
Turn right onto West Market Street
351 ft·16 sec·West Market Street
17
At end of road, turn right
257 ft·28 sec
18
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
For this 73.8-mile trip, leaving anytime is feasible given its short duration. You'll want to budget around $12 for fuel, so check your tank before you depart from Blooming Grove. Since the drive is only about 1 hour 46 minutes, you likely won't need many stops, but there are no specific rest areas called out on this route. The longest stretch on the interstate is 21.6 miles, so keep that in mind if you prefer to break up highway driving. Enjoy the flexibility this shorter drive offers.
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 36.9 miles from Blooming Grove, IN, or about 58m 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 16 miles or 27m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 36.9 miles or 58m 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 29m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Indianapolis, IN than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Blooming Grove, IN so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Blooming Grove, IN
This is one driving day of about 73.8 miles and 1h 46m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 16 miles from Blooming Grove, IN.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on I 74 for about 21.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 14
5 decision points cluster between mile 44.5 and 73.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
44.5 mi into trip|~1h 9m in
Take the ramp toward I 74 West, US 421 North: Indianapolis
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 74 West, US 421 North: Indianapolis
5
44.7 mi into trip|~1h 10m in|I 74; US 421
Merge onto I 74; US 421
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
72.6 mi into trip|~1h 42m in|East Washington Street
Turn left onto East Washington Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
6
73.6 mi into trip|~1h 45m in|North Illinois Street
Turn right onto North Illinois Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
73.7 mi into trip|~1h 46m in|West Market Street
Turn right onto West Market Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.54 one way
$23.08 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg26 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$12.67
$25.34
premium
$4.89
$14.20
$28.40
diesel
$5.61
$16.29
$32.59
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$12
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$37–$62
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 25.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging
· 0 stops
· 65% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
22.1
0
$7.75
$3.54
Efficient EV
18.5
0
$6.46
$2.95
EV Truck/SUV
29.5
0
$10.33
$4.72
Gas CO2
26 kg
EV CO2
9 kg (65% 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 20, 2026
Origin
Blooming Grove, IN
Morning
in Blooming Grove on Tuesday
Local time
8:19 AM
EDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Indianapolis, IN
Morning
in Indianapolis on Tuesday
Local time
8:19 AM
EDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
52°F
Shelbyville, IN
37 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
18 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
1h 46m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route is primarily surface roads for about 71% of the drive. You'll spend about 21.6 miles on I 74, where you can expect highway speeds and potentially dense traffic near exits. After leaving the interstate, the drive transitions to East 1st Street and West 3rd Street, which are typical surface roads. Expect a more local driving experience with traffic lights and varying speed limits as you approach Indianapolis.
Only 29% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 21.6 mi on I 74.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 44.5 miles in.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 46m drive. You will face about 14 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 44.5 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 44.7 miles (I 74; US 421): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 72.6 miles (East Washington Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Indianapolis is the capital of Indiana and also the state’s largest city. Efforts to beautify and modernize the city have brought Indianapolis into the 21st century as a world-class destination for everything from business meetings and trade conventions to backpackers making their way across the States.
Indianapolis is widely hailed as the "Racing Capital of the World" because of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indy 500 and Brickyard 400 at the Brickyard, and as the "Amateur Sports Capital of America" for hosting the NCAA Hall of Champions. The city has several attractions outside of sports, including museums, a large zoo, over 100 ethnic restaurants, several arts and historic districts, and a revitalized downtown. Although Indy has been mocked with the epithet "India-noplace", visitors will encounter a mix of a large metropolitan city and a simple Midwestern community.
Top landmarks
•The Children's Museum of Indianapolis — museum
•Indiana Statehouse — state capitol building of the U.S. state of Indiana
•Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument — monument in Indianapolis
The longest stretch is about 21.6 miles on I 74. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 3 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 44.5 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 44.7 miles (I 74; US 421): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 72.6 miles (East Washington Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Indianapolis, IN before heading back.
