Origin
Bloomington, IN
Late night in Bloomington on Tuesday
Local time
5:10 AM
EDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Bloomington, IN to Salem, IN
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 20m
Distance
56.6 mi
91 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 14m
★
6 AM
1h 20m
8 AM
1h 33m
10 AM
1h 25m
12 PM
1h 24m
3 PM
1h 26m
5 PM
1h 32m
8 PM
1h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bloomington, IN
Wikimedia Commons
Salem, IN
Banx Photography
Trip Overview
Bloomington, IN to Salem, IN is 56.6 miles and takes about 1 hour 20 minutes via SR 37, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, one-day trip primarily within Indiana's Midwest region. Expect a mixed drive with segments on both main roads and smaller state routes. Given its relatively short distance, it's an easy excursion for a single day, allowing plenty of time for your destination or activities along the way. Consider this route for a quick journey across the southern Indiana landscape.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| SR 37 | 26.8 mi | 32m |
| State Road 60 | 21.8 mi | 32m |
| South Old State Road 37 | 2.7 mi | 4m |
| South Walnut Street | 2.5 mi | 5m |
| Mulberry Street | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| South College Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| East 3rd Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| West Hackberry Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
SR 37
— 26.8 mi, about 32m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bloomington, IN and Salem, IN.
1
Start on this road
99 ft
·
9 sec
·
this road
2
Continue on East 4th Street
379 ft
·
20 sec
·
East 4th Street
3
Turn left onto South Dunn Street
403 ft
·
17 sec
·
South Dunn Street
4
Turn right onto East 3rd Street
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
·
East 3rd Street
5
Turn left onto South College Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
South College Avenue
6
Turn straight onto South Walnut Street
2.5 mi
·
5 min
·
South Walnut Street
7
Continue on South Old State Road 37
2.7 mi
·
4 min
·
South Old State Road 37
8
Turn left onto SR 37
27 mi
·
32 min
·
SR 37
9
Turn left onto SR 60
22 mi
·
32 min
·
State Road 60
10
At end of road, turn left onto SR 56; SR 60
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Mulberry Street
11
Continue on SR 56; SR 60
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
West Hackberry Street
12
Turn right onto North Main Street
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
North Main Street
Use the right lane.
13
At end of road, turn right onto Westside Road
304 ft
·
6 sec
·
Westside Road
14
Arrive at destination
Westside Road
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
28 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 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 28.3 miles from Bloomington, IN, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
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 75 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 56.6 — 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
|
South Dunn Street
Turn left onto South Dunn Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East 3rd Street
Turn right onto East 3rd Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
South College Avenue
Turn left onto South College Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
56.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 20m in
|
North Main Street
Turn right onto North Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
56.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 20m in
|
Westside Road
At end of road, turn right onto Westside Road
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.85 one way
$17.70 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $9.72 | $19.43 |
| premium | $4.89 | $10.89 | $21.78 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.50 | $24.99 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17 | 0 | $5.94 | $2.72 |
| Efficient EV | 14.2 | 0 | $4.95 | $2.26 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.6 | 0 | $7.92 | $3.62 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 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.
Destination
Salem, IN
Late night in Salem on Tuesday
Local time
5:10 AM
EDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
54°F
Redding, IN
28 mi in
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 20m 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 offers a mixed drive experience, with 47% of the journey on highways. You'll encounter stretches on SR 37, including a significant 26.8-mile segment on this main road before transitioning to State Road 60 and South Old State Road 37. The drive is not a constant interstate pace but also not exclusively winding country lanes. Expect a blend of faster-paced driving on SR 37 interspersed with sections that feel more local and direct as you approach Salem.
47% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 26.8 mi on SR 37.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near South Dunn Street.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Bloomington, IN to Salem, IN is easy. At 1h 20m with 47% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (South Dunn Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (East 3rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (South College Avenue): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Starting in Bloomington, IN
Full guide →Founded 1818
Bloomington is a city of 86,000 people (2019) in Southern Indiana. Bloomington is home to the flagship campus of Indiana University (IU) and therefore also the IU Hoosiers sports teams. As it is the largest city in the region, it serves as the de facto employment, service, and shopping center for several adjacent counties.
Top landmarks
- • John L. Nichols House — house in Bloomington, Indiana
- • Blair-Dunning House — Historic house in Indiana
- • Vinegar Hill Historic District — Indiana historic district
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 20m. Total distance: 56.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (47%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 26.8 miles on SR 37. 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 (South Dunn Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (East 3rd Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (South College Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Salem, IN 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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