Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from Chatham, IL to Bloomington, IL

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 29m

Distance

76.3 mi

123 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$12

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 21 min
4 AM
1h 23m ★
6 AM
1h 30m
8 AM
1h 44m
10 AM
1h 35m
12 PM
1h 33m
3 PM
1h 35m
5 PM
1h 43m
8 PM
1h 26m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
Downtown Chatham, IL, IL

Chatham, IL

Quang Vuong

Trip Overview

This straightforward 76.3-mile drive from Chatham, Illinois, to Bloomington, Illinois, is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 1 hour and 29 minutes. You'll primarily be on interstate highways, making it a quick hop through the heart of the Midwest. With a projected fuel cost of around $12, this route is quite budget-friendly. The journey is predominantly highway-focused, designed for efficient travel rather than leisurely sightseeing. Given its short duration and direct path, no overnight stays are necessary, offering you flexibility to depart at your convenience.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 55 49.9 mi 53m
I 72 17.1 mi 19m
South Veterans Parkway 3.7 mi 5m
North Main Street 3 mi 5m
South Main Street 1.3 mi 3m
South East Street 0.5 mi 1m
North East Street — —

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: I 55 — 49.9 mi, about 53m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Chatham, IL and Bloomington, IL.

1

Start on IL 4

3.0 mi · 5 min · North Main Street
Use the straight lane.
2

Continue on IL 4

1.2 mi · 1 min · South Veterans Parkway
3

Take the ramp

0.5 mi · 1 min
4

Merge onto I 72; US 36

17 mi · 19 min · I 72; US 36
5

Continue on I 55

20 mi · 21 min · I 55
6

Keep slight right at fork onto I 55

29 mi · 31 min · I 55
Toward I 55 North: Chicago Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Keep slight right at fork onto I 55 Business

0.3 mi · 20 sec · South Veterans Parkway
Exit 157A; 157B Toward I 55 Business North, I 74 East: Indianapolis
8

Continue on I 55 Business

2.1 mi · 3 min · South Veterans Parkway
Exit 157B Toward I 55 Business North Use the left / straight lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 40 sec
Toward US 51 Business
10

Turn left onto US 51 Business

1.3 mi · 3 min · South Main Street
Use the straight lane.
11

Continue on US 51 Business

0.5 mi · 1 min · South East Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
12

Arrive at destination

US 51 Business

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Riverton, IL, IL

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Riverton, IL

38 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.

Popular next leg

Riverton, IL to Bloomington, IL

59.7 mi · 1h 14m

Pacing Suggestions

Grandview, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 17 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Riverton, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 38.1 miles from Chatham, IL, 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 6

5 decision points cluster between mile 42.4 and 74.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

7
42.4 mi into trip | ~49m in | I 55

Keep slight right at fork onto I 55 toward I 55 North: Chicago

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 55 North: Chicago
7
71.8 mi into trip | ~1h 20m in | I 55 Business / South Veterans Parkway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 55 Business / South Veterans Parkway toward I 55 Business North, I 74 East: Indianapolis

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Exit 157A; 157B Toward I 55 Business North, I 74 East: Indianap...
4
72.1 mi into trip | ~1h 21m in | I 55 Business / South Veterans Parkway

Continue onto I 55 Business / South Veterans Parkway toward I 55 Business North

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / straight lanes. Exit 157B Toward I 55 Business North
4
74.2 mi into trip | ~1h 24m in

Take the exit toward US 51 Business

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Toward US 51 Business
4
74.5 mi into trip | ~1h 25m in | US 51 Business / South Main Street

Turn left onto US 51 Business / South Main Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$11.93 one way

$23.86 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 27 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $13.10 $26.19
premium $4.89 $14.68 $29.37
diesel $5.61 $16.85 $33.69

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$12

Estimated CO2 emission: 26.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 22.9 0 $8.01 $3.66
Efficient EV 19.1 0 $6.68 $3.05
EV Truck/SUV 30.5 0 $10.68 $4.88

Gas CO2

27 kg

EV CO2

9 kg (67% 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 16, 2026

Origin

Chatham, IL

Morning in Chatham on Sunday

Local time

10:48 AM

CDT

Current temp

81°F

Sunny

W 10 to 14 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 16 at 10:43AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 16 at 10:43AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

Destination

Bloomington, IL

Morning in Bloomington on Sunday

Local time

10:48 AM

CDT

Current temp

52°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

54°F

Riverton, IL

38 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

29 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

1h 29m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

Expect a highway-centric experience on this 76.3-mile journey, with 93% of the drive taking place on interstates like I-55 and I-72. You'll encounter a longest uninterrupted stretch of 49.9 miles on I-55, allowing for a steady pace without frequent exits. The profile is consistently highway-focused, meaning you'll be navigating at higher speeds for the majority of the trip. While not a winding scenic route, its efficiency makes it ideal for covering ground quickly between these two Illinois locations.

93% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 49.9 mi on I 55.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 55 and I 72. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 42.4 miles in near I 55.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 1h 29m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 42.4 miles (I 55): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 71.8 miles (I 55 Business / South Veterans Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 72.1 miles (I 55 Business / South Veterans Parkway): Lane positioning matters here.

About the Cities

Arriving 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

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 29m. Total distance: 76.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 29m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (93%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 49.9 miles on I 55. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 11 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 42.4 miles (I 55): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 71.8 miles (I 55 Business / South Veterans Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 72.1 miles (I 55 Business / South Veterans Parkway): Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Bloomington, 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Continue From Bloomington, IL

Carbondale, IL 221.1 mi · 4h 33m Cambria, IL 213.2 mi · 4h 24m Bremen, IL 213 mi · 4h 19m Campton, IL 208.2 mi · 4h 11m

More from Chatham, IL

Chicago, IL 208.6 mi · 4h Berwyn, IL 203 mi · 3h 52m Naperville, IL 189 mi · 3h 38m Aurora, IL 184.6 mi · 3h 34m Bolingbrook, IL 184 mi · 3h 25m Lockport, IL 178.6 mi · 3h 24m

More trips to Bloomington, IL

Makanda, IL 231.6 mi Crestwood, IL 220.7 mi Sleepy Hollow, IL 219.5 mi Crainville, IL 213.7 mi Johnston City, IL 203.1 mi Christopher, IL 196.5 mi
Escape planner: Chatham, IL Scenic drives in IL

Explore more options from Chatham, IL or browse trips ending in Bloomington, IL.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse IL road trips.