Origin
Bloomington, IL
Late night in Bloomington on Friday
Local time
2:56 AM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Bloomington, IL to Jerome, IL
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 27m
Distance
72.8 mi
117 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 21m
★
6 AM
1h 28m
8 AM
1h 41m
10 AM
1h 32m
12 PM
1h 31m
3 PM
1h 33m
5 PM
1h 40m
8 PM
1h 24m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bloomington, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Jerome, IL
Mike Tyurin
Trip Overview
Bloomington, IL to Jerome, IL is 72.8 miles and takes about 1 hour 27 minutes via South Veterans Parkway, North Morris Avenue, and South MacArthur Boulevard, with a fuel budget near $12 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Midwest region, entirely within Illinois, offering a straightforward connection between two points. Given its relatively short duration and predominantly highway profile, it's a practical option for a quick trip or as part of a larger Midwest itinerary. You'll find it's a functional route with minimal complexity for getting from point A to point B.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Veterans Parkway | 65.7 mi | 1h 11m |
| North Morris Avenue | 1.7 mi | 4m |
| South MacArthur Boulevard | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| I 72 | 1.5 mi | 1m |
| West Market Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Wabash Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Junction Circle | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Leonard Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
South Veterans Parkway
— 65.7 mi, about 1h 11m
Traffic on I-55
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 16 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,916 veh/hr typical · worst 2,558
Quietest
2 AM
~159 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
12.1×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 103 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bloomington, IL and Jerome, 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
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
North Madison Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
6
Turn right onto West Market Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Market Street
7
Turn left onto North Morris Avenue
1.7 mi
·
4 min
·
North Morris Avenue
Use the straight lane.
8
Turn right onto I 55 Business
66 mi
·
1 hr 11 min
·
South Veterans Parkway
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 72; US 36
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
I 72; US 36
Toward I 72 West, US 36 West: Jacksonville
10
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
Toward Springfield
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
12
Turn straight onto South MacArthur Boulevard
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
South MacArthur Boulevard
Use the left lane.
13
Turn left onto Junction Circle
0.3 mi
·
52 sec
·
Junction Circle
Use the left lane.
14
Turn right onto South Park Avenue
143 ft
·
11 sec
·
South Park Avenue
Use the right lane.
15
Turn left onto Wabash Avenue
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
Wabash Avenue
Use the left lane.
16
Turn right onto Leonard Street
0.2 mi
·
49 sec
·
Leonard Street
17
Turn left onto Reed Avenue
34 ft
·
1 sec
·
Reed Avenue
18
Arrive at destination
Reed Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
36 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 36.4 miles from Bloomington, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before South Veterans Parkway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 65.7 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 165 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 72.1 — 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
5
0.9 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
North Morris Avenue
Turn left onto North Morris Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
6
68.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 18m in
|
I 72; US 36
Keep slight right at fork onto I 72; US 36 toward I 72 West, US 36 West: Jacksonville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 72 West, US 36 West: Jacksonville
6
72.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 25m in
|
South Park Avenue
Turn right onto South Park Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.29 one way
$22.57 round trip
$3.94/gal
25.4 MPG avg
26 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $12.38 | $24.75 |
| premium | $4.93 | $14.12 | $28.25 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $16.05 | $32.10 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 25.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 21.8 | 0 | $7.64 | $3.49 |
| Efficient EV | 18.2 | 0 | $6.37 | $2.91 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 29.1 | 0 | $10.19 | $4.66 |
Gas CO2
25 kg
EV CO2
9 kg (64% 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.
Destination
Jerome, IL
Late night in Jerome on Friday
Local time
2:56 AM
CDT
Current temp
95°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
24 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 27m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
This route is primarily highway driving, with 92% of the 72.8 miles on expressways. You'll experience a longest stretch of 65.7 miles on South Veterans Parkway, indicating a significant period of consistent highway cruising. The transition from highway to surface roads will occur late in your drive, around mile 65.7, before you reach Jerome. Expect a lot of exits and highway merging as you navigate the main arteries.
92% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 65.7 mi on South Veterans Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on South Veterans Parkway and North Morris Avenue. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near West Chestnut Street.
Driving Effort
7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 72.8 miles you will encounter 16 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
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 0.9 miles (North Morris Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
796 ft
564 ft
Total Climb
108 ft
Total Descent
303 ft
Highest Point
796 ft
Elevation Range
232 ft
About the Cities
Starting 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
Arriving in Jerome, IL
Full guide →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 27m. Total distance: 72.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (92%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 65.7 miles on South Veterans Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Jerome, IL before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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 0.9 miles (North Morris Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Jerome, IL before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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