Oblong, IL to Bloomington, IL is 150.3 miles and takes about 3h 9m via I 57 and I 74, with a fuel budget near $24 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Illinois, traversing the Midwest region. It's a straightforward, mostly highway drive perfect for a single-day excursion. You'll spend most of your time on major interstates, making for a quick and efficient transit between these two Illinois cities. Plan for a simple, no-frills drive where the focus is getting from point A to point B.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
75.1 miles from Oblong, IL
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 43m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 57
47.4 mi
50m
I 74
43.3 mi
46m
IL 130
34.1 mi
50m
East 1050th Avenue
12.1 mi
18m
Illinois Route 16
5.3 mi
7m
South Main Street
2.8 mi
5m
Lincoln Avenue
2.5 mi
4m
South East Street
0.5 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
I 57
— 47.4 mi, about 50m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Oblong, IL and Bloomington, IL.
1
Start on CH 1
56 ft·3 sec·North Range Street
2
Turn right onto IL 33
0.5 mi·44 sec·East Main Street
3
Continue on IL 33
12 mi·18 min·East 1050th Avenue
4
Turn right onto IL 130
34 mi·50 min·IL 130
Use the right lane.
5
Turn left onto IL 16
2.5 mi·4 min·Lincoln Avenue
6
Continue on IL 16
5.3 mi·7 min·Illinois Route 16
7
Continue on IL 16
0.4 mi·38 sec·Charleston Avenue East
8
Take the ramp
0.5 mi·1 min
Toward I-57 North: Champaign
9
Merge onto I 57
47 mi·50 min·I 57
10
Take the exit
0.5 mi·1 min
Exit 237BToward I 74 West: Peoria
11
Merge onto I 74
43 mi·46 min·I 74
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi·40 sec
Exit 135Toward US 51 South, US 51 Business North: Bloomington
13
Turn right onto US 51 Business
2.8 mi·5 min·South Main Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
14
Continue on US 51 Business
0.5 mi·1 min·South East Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
15
Arrive at destination
US 51 Business
Trip Plan
Given the 3-hour duration, starting your drive in Oblong, IL, anytime in the morning will get you to Bloomington, IL, well before evening. With only one recommended stop and a fuel cost estimated at $24, this is an easy day trip. The longest stretch of highway is 47.4 miles on I 57, so be sure to fuel up before you hit that segment if you're concerned about range. Since the drive is relatively short, you have flexibility; consider leaving a bit later if you prefer to avoid early morning traffic, or depart early to maximize your time in Bloomington.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 75.1 miles from Oblong, IL, or about 1h 43m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 47.4 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 33 miles or 49m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 75.1 miles or 1h 43m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 36m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Bloomington, IL than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Oblong, IL so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Oblong, IL
This is one driving day of about 150.3 miles and 3h 9m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 33 miles from Oblong, IL.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on I 57 for about 47.4 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 8
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 147 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
0 mi into trip|~0m in|IL 33 / East Main Street
Turn right onto IL 33 / East Main Street
Navigation decision point
4
12.7 mi into trip|~18m in|IL 130
Turn right onto IL 130
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
102.8 mi into trip|~2h 13m in
Take the exit toward I 74 West: Peoria
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 237B
Toward I 74 West: Peoria
6
146.7 mi into trip|~3h 1m in
Take the exit toward US 51 South, US 51 Business North: Bloomington
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 135
Toward US 51 South, US 51 Business North: Bloom...
4
147 mi into trip|~3h 1m in|US 51 Business / South Main Street
Turn right onto US 51 Business / South Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$23.50 one way
$47.00 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg53 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$25.80
$51.60
premium
$4.89
$28.92
$57.85
diesel
$5.61
$33.18
$66.37
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$24
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$49–$74
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 52.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $16 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
45.1
0
$15.78
$7.21
Efficient EV
37.6
0
$13.15
$6.01
EV Truck/SUV
60.1
0
$21.04
$9.62
Gas CO2
53 kg
EV CO2
18 kg (66% 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 20, 2026
Origin
Oblong, IL
Late night
in Oblong on Tuesday
Local time
4:36 AM
CDT
Current temp
63°F
Sunny
WSW 3 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 20 at 1:05PM CDT until April 21 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 20 at 1:04PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO
Destination
Bloomington, IL
Late night
in Bloomington on Tuesday
Local time
4:36 AM
CDT
Current temp
62°F
Sunny
S 3 to 7 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 20 at 1:05PM CDT until April 21 at 9:00AM CDT by NWS Quad Cities IA IL
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 20 at 1:04PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
1 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
3h 9m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route is 87% highway, meaning you'll be on major interstates for the vast majority of the 150.3 miles. The longest stretch without an exit is 47.4 miles on I 57. You'll transition from I 57 to I 74, both of which offer a consistent cruising speed. Expect frequent exits on these interstates, keeping navigation straightforward. The route concludes by shifting to IL 130, where you'll experience more typical surface road driving.
87% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 47.4 mi on I 57.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 57 and I 74. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near IL 33 / East Main Street.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 3h 9m 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: near the start (IL 33 / East Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 12.7 miles (IL 130): Lane positioning matters here; at 102.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
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
The longest stretch is about 47.4 miles on I 57. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 12 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, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (IL 33 / East Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 12.7 miles (IL 130): Lane positioning matters here; at 102.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Possible but tiring. At 3.2 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 6.3 hours — manageable with a long break at Bloomington, IL, but most travelers stay overnight.
