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Trip from Clear Lake, IL to Bloomington, IL

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 15m

Distance

64.8 mi

104 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$10

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 18 min
4 AM
1h 10m ★
6 AM
1h 16m
8 AM
1h 28m
10 AM
1h 20m
12 PM
1h 19m
3 PM
1h 20m
5 PM
1h 27m
8 PM
1h 12m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Clear Lake, IL, IL

Clear Lake, IL

Tommes Frites

Trip Overview

If you are planning to travel from Clear Lake to Bloomington, you are looking at a straightforward 64.8-mile trip that typically takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes. This Midwest journey is perfectly suited for a single day, as the short duration makes an overnight stay unnecessary. You will primarily navigate via I-55, transitioning onto South Veterans Parkway and South Main Street as you arrive. With an estimated fuel cost of just $10, it is an economical route for a quick commute or a day trip. The drive is entirely contained within Illinois, offering a consistent experience across the Midwestern landscape. Because the route is so efficient, you have plenty of flexibility to plan your departure time based on your personal schedule.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 55 58.2 mi 1h 2m
South Veterans Parkway 2.5 mi 3m
South Main Street 1.3 mi 3m
Old Route 36 0.7 mi 1m
South East Street 0.5 mi 1m
I 72 0.3 mi <1m
South Dixon Street 0.1 mi <1m
West Houston Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 55 — 58.2 mi, about 1h 2m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on West Houston Street

491 ft · 18 sec · West Houston Street
2

Turn right onto South Dixon Street

0.1 mi · 28 sec · South Dixon Street
3

At end of road, turn left onto Old Route 36

0.7 mi · 1 min · Old Route 36
4

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 51 sec
5

Merge onto I 72; US 36

0.3 mi · 19 sec · I 72; US 36
6

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 41 sec
Toward I 55 North: Chicago
7

Merge onto I 55

29 mi · 31 min · I 55
8

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.
9

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
10

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.
11

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 40 sec
Toward US 51 Business
12

Turn left onto US 51 Business

1.3 mi · 3 min · South Main Street
Use the straight lane.
13

Continue on US 51 Business

0.5 mi · 1 min · South East Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
14

Arrive at destination

US 51 Business

Where to Stop

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

Downtown Atlanta, IL, IL

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Atlanta, IL

32 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

Riverton, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Atlanta, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 32.4 miles from Clear Lake, 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 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 60.3 — 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 Dixon Street

Turn right onto South Dixon Street

Navigation decision point

5
0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in | Old Route 36

At end of road, turn left onto Old Route 36

Navigation decision point

4
0.9 mi into trip | ~2m in

Take the ramp

Navigation decision point

7
30.9 mi into trip | ~35m 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
60.3 mi into trip | ~1h 6m 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...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$10.13 one way

$20.26 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 23 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $11.12 $22.25
premium $4.89 $12.47 $24.94
diesel $5.61 $14.31 $28.61

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$10

Estimated CO2 emission: 22.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 19.4 0 $6.80 $3.11
Efficient EV 16.2 0 $5.67 $2.59
EV Truck/SUV 25.9 0 $9.07 $4.15

Gas CO2

23 kg

EV CO2

8 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 12, 2026

Origin

Clear Lake, IL

Late night in Clear Lake on Tuesday

Local time

4:38 AM

CDT

Current temp

80°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

SSW 23 mph 45% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 12 at 1:25PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 12 at 12:16PM CDT until April 17 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

Destination

Bloomington, IL

Late night in Bloomington on Tuesday

Local time

4:38 AM

CDT

Current temp

80°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

SSW 24 mph 38% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 12 at 1:25PM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 12 at 12:16PM CDT until April 17 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL

68°F

Atlanta, IL

32 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 15m 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 highly efficient, highway-focused experience, as 95% of your journey will be spent on major roads. The core of this trip is a 58.2-mile stretch on I-55, which serves as the primary artery connecting the two locations. Because such a vast majority of the drive is interstate, you will find the pace is fast and consistent rather than technical or winding. As you move away from the initial highway miles, the transition to South Veterans Parkway and South Main Street signals your arrival into the Bloomington area. It is a no-frills, practical drive that prioritizes speed and directness over scenic detours or slower secondary roads.

95% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 58.2 mi on I 55.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 55 and South Veterans Parkway. 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 South Dixon 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 64.8 miles you will encounter 11 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 (South Dixon Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Old Route 36): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles: Navigation decision point.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

837 ft 576 ft

Total Climb

354 ft

Total Descent

134 ft

Highest Point

837 ft

~62.1 mi in

Elevation Range

261 ft

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 15m. Total distance: 64.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 15m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (95%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 58.2 miles on I 55. 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 Bloomington, 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 (South Dixon Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Old Route 36): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles: Navigation decision point.

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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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