If you are planning a quick excursion through the heart of Illinois, the 70.5-mile journey from Bloomington to Atwood is a straightforward local transit. Expect to spend about 1 hour and 36 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal candidate for a single-day trip. Since you won't need an overnight stay, you can easily complete the round trip in one go. Budget roughly $11 for fuel to cover the distance, which remains entirely on local roads rather than major interstates. Navigating through the Midwest, you will find this route offers a practical connection between these two communities without the complexity of long-haul travel.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
35.2 miles from Bloomington, IL
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 43m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 74
35.9 mi
38m
County Road 6
9.2 mi
12m
County Road 300 E
4.5 mi
6m
County Road 00 East
4 mi
7m
County Road 50 East
3.4 mi
5m
South Main Street
1.8 mi
3m
Main Street
1.7 mi
2m
County Highway 14
1.6 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
I 74
— 35.9 mi, about 38m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bloomington, IL and Atwood, IL.
1
Start on US 51 Business
136 ft·5 sec·North East Street
Use the straight lane.
2
Continue on US 51 Business
396 ft·16 sec·North Main Street
Use the straight lane.
3
Turn left onto West Chestnut Street
273 ft·19 sec·West Chestnut Street
4
Turn left onto US 51 Business
393 ft·13 sec·North Center Street
5
Continue on US 51 Business
0.5 mi·1 min·North Madison Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
6
Continue on US 51 Business
1.1 mi·2 min·South Center Street
Use the straight lane.
7
Continue on US 51 Business
1.8 mi·3 min·South Main Street
Use the straight lane.
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi·1 min
Toward I 74 East: Champaign
9
Merge onto I 74
36 mi·38 min·I 74
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi·37 sec
Exit 172Toward IL 47: Mahomet
11
Turn right onto IL 47
0.4 mi·1 min·North Lombard Street
12
At end of road, turn right onto US 150; IL 47
0.4 mi·52 sec·East Oak Street
13
Turn left onto IL 47
0.9 mi·1 min·South Division Street
14
Continue on IL 47
4.5 mi·6 min·County Road 300 E
15
Turn right onto IL 10
1.0 mi·1 min·County Road 1600 N
16
Turn left onto CR 6
0.1 mi·18 sec·Main Street
17
Continue on CR 6
0.1 mi·14 sec·County Road 200 East
18
Continue on CR 6
1.6 mi·2 min·Main Street
19
Continue on CR 6
9.2 mi·12 min·County Road 6
20
Turn right onto CR 17
1.0 mi·1 min·County Road 17
21
Continue on CR 17
1.0 mi·1 min·Johnson Street
22
Continue on CR 17
0.4 mi·44 sec·County Line Street
23
Continue on CR 17
4.0 mi·7 min·County Road 00 East
24
Continue on County Road 50 East
3.4 mi·5 min·County Road 50 East
25
Continue on County Highway 14
1.6 mi·2 min·County Highway 14
26
Continue on North County Road 50 East
0.4 mi·40 sec·North County Road 50 East
27
Continue on North Main Street
482 ft·9 sec·North Main Street
28
Arrive at destination
North Main Street
Trip Plan
Since this is a relatively short trip of under two hours, you have plenty of flexibility regarding your departure time. You won't need to worry about planning formal rest stops given the duration, but keep in mind that the turn-heavy nature of the roads means you should allow for extra travel time if you are driving during peak local traffic hours. Ensure your vehicle is fueled up before you leave, as the $11 estimate is based on direct travel without detours. A smart strategy is to check your navigation app for any construction or local road closures on North Main or North Center Street before heading out. Embracing the pace of these local roads allows for a stress-free arrival at your destination.
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 35.2 miles from Bloomington, IL, or about 43m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 35.9 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 22m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 35.2 miles or 43m 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 18m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Atwood, IL than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Bloomington, IL so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Bloomington, IL
This is one driving day of about 70.5 miles and 1h 36m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 16 miles from Bloomington, IL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on I 74 for about 35.9 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 11
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 40.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|West Chestnut Street
Turn left onto West Chestnut Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|US 51 Business / North Center Street
Turn left onto US 51 Business / North Center Street
Navigation decision point
4
3.6 mi into trip|~8m in
Take the exit toward I 74 East: Champaign
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward I 74 East: Champaign
5
40 mi into trip|~48m in
Take the exit toward IL 47: Mahomet
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 172
Toward IL 47: Mahomet
4
40.7 mi into trip|~50m in|US 150; IL 47 / East Oak Street
At end of road, turn right onto US 150; IL 47 / East Oak Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.02 one way
$22.04 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg25 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$12.10
$24.20
premium
$4.89
$13.57
$27.13
diesel
$5.61
$15.57
$31.13
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$11
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$36–$61
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 24.7 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging
· 0 stops
· 68% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
21.2
0
$7.40
$3.38
Efficient EV
17.6
0
$6.17
$2.82
EV Truck/SUV
28.2
0
$9.87
$4.51
Gas CO2
25 kg
EV CO2
8 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 20, 2026
Origin
Bloomington, IL
Late night
in Bloomington on Tuesday
Local time
4:11 AM
CDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Atwood, IL
Late night
in Atwood on Tuesday
Local time
4:11 AM
CDT
Current temp
68°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
1h 36m 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?
Forget about monotonous interstate cruising; this route is defined by a turn-heavy, local-road profile. You will spend 0% of your time on highways, relying instead on surface streets like North Main Street, West Chestnut Street, and North Center Street to navigate the transition. Because there are no long, uninterrupted stretches of road, you should anticipate a drive that requires your full attention at intersections and turns. The character of the trip is decidedly local, favoring steady, lower-speed movement over high-velocity transit. It is a hands-on driving experience that keeps you engaged with the local infrastructure from start to finish.
53% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
28 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 35.9 mi on I 74.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
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 around 0.1 miles in near West Chestnut 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 1h 36m drive. You will face about 11 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (West Chestnut Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (US 51 Business / North Center Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
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
The longest stretch is about 35.9 miles on I 74. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 0.1 miles (West Chestnut Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (US 51 Business / North Center Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Atwood, IL before heading back.
