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Trip from Eel River, IN to Bloomington, IN

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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 11m

Distance

43.6 mi

70 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 6m ★
6 AM
1h 11m
8 AM
1h 23m
10 AM
1h 15m
12 PM
1h 14m
3 PM
1h 16m
5 PM
1h 22m
8 PM
1h 8m

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 Eel River, IN, IN

Eel River, IN

Volcsei Peter

county seat of Monroe County, Indiana, United States

Bloomington, IN

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 43.6-mile drive from Eel River, IN to Bloomington, IN is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 1 hour and 11 minutes. With a fuel cost estimated at $7, it's an economical journey through the Midwest. The route primarily utilizes SR 46 and State Road 46, offering a straightforward connection between these Indiana locations. You'll experience a mixed drive, meaning it's not all highway, but a blend that keeps things interesting. This short distance allows for plenty of flexibility in your schedule, making it ideal for a spontaneous excursion or a relaxed start to your day.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
SR 46 20.4 mi 29m
State Road 46 13.5 mi 21m
SR 59 4.5 mi 6m
West Temperance Street 1.3 mi 2m
West Morgan Street 1.2 mi 2m
North College Avenue 1 mi 2m
West County Road 450 South 0.8 mi 3m
North Dunn Street 0.4 mi 1m
Longest stretch: SR 46 — 20.4 mi, about 29m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Eel River, IN and Bloomington, IN.

1

Start on West County Road 450 South

96 ft · 4 sec · West County Road 450 South
2

Continue on South County Road 75 West

0.1 mi · 31 sec · South County Road 75 West
3

Turn left onto West County Road 450 South

0.7 mi · 2 min · West County Road 450 South
4

Turn left onto SR 59

4.5 mi · 6 min · SR 59
5

Turn right onto SR 46

20 mi · 29 min · SR 46
6

Turn left onto US 231; SR 46; SR 67

1.2 mi · 2 min · West Morgan Street
7

Continue on SR 46

7.8 mi · 11 min · State Road 46
8

Continue on SR 46

1.3 mi · 2 min · West Temperance Street
9

Continue on SR 46

5.7 mi · 10 min · State Road 46
10

Turn sharp right onto North College Avenue

1.0 mi · 2 min · North College Avenue
11

Turn left onto West 10th Street

0.4 mi · 54 sec · West 10th Street
12

Turn right onto North Dunn Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · North Dunn Street
13

Turn left onto East 4th Street

379 ft · 15 sec · East 4th Street
14

Turn straight

99 ft · 7 sec
15

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

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

town in Washington Township, Owen County, Indiana, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Spencer, IN

22 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

Stockton, IN

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Spencer, IN

Meal break

The midpoint is around 21.8 miles from Eel River, 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 8

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.9 and 43.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
0.9 mi into trip | ~3m in | SR 59

Turn left onto SR 59

Navigation decision point

4
5.4 mi into trip | ~9m in | SR 46

Turn right onto SR 46

Navigation decision point

5
41.7 mi into trip | ~1h 6m in | North College Avenue

Turn sharp right onto North College Avenue

Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach

4
42.7 mi into trip | ~1h 8m in | West 10th Street

Turn left onto West 10th Street

Navigation decision point

4
43.1 mi into trip | ~1h 9m in | North Dunn Street

Turn right onto North Dunn Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.82 one way

$13.63 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 15 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $7.48 $14.97
premium $4.89 $8.39 $16.78
diesel $5.61 $9.63 $19.25

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 15.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 13.1 0 $4.58 $2.09
Efficient EV 10.9 0 $3.82 $1.74
EV Truck/SUV 17.4 0 $6.10 $2.79

Gas CO2

15 kg

EV CO2

5 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

Eel River, IN

Morning in Eel River on Tuesday

Local time

6:49 AM

EDT

Current temp

79°F

Mostly Sunny

WSW 13 mph 12% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 16 at 11:54AM EDT until April 21 at 2:00PM EDT by NWS Northern Indiana

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 16 at 11:54AM EDT until April 23 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS Northern Indiana

Destination

Bloomington, IN

Morning in Bloomington on Tuesday

Local time

6:49 AM

EDT

Current temp

71°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

71°F

Spencer, IN

22 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

8 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 11m 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 mixed drive on this 43.6-mile route, with 57% of it on highways. The majority of your time will be spent on SR 46 and State Road 46, offering a consistent experience for much of the journey. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 20.4 miles on SR 46, allowing for a good period of cruising. While not exclusively a highway grind, the significant highway share suggests periods of faster travel interspersed with other road types. This blend ensures you're not stuck in one type of driving for too long, providing a varied experience behind the wheel.

57% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 20.4 mi on SR 46.

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 0.9 miles in near SR 59.

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 11m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.9 miles (SR 59): Navigation decision point; at 5.4 miles (SR 46): Navigation decision point; at 41.7 miles (North College Avenue): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach.

About the Cities

Arriving 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 11m. Total distance: 43.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 11m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (57%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 20.4 miles on SR 46. 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 0.9 miles (SR 59): Navigation decision point; at 5.4 miles (SR 46): Navigation decision point; at 41.7 miles (North College Avenue): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Bloomington, 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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