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Trip from Paoli, 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

Distance

45.2 mi

73 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Fair

4 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 15 min
4 AM
0h 56m ★
6 AM
1h 1m
8 AM
1h 11m
10 AM
1h 4m
12 PM
1h 3m
3 PM
1h 5m
5 PM
1h 10m
8 PM
0h 58m

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 Paoli, IN, IN

Paoli, IN

Engin Deniz Kopan

county seat of Monroe County, Indiana, United States

Bloomington, IN

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Paoli to Bloomington is 45.2 miles and takes about 1 hour via North Gospel Street, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Indiana, moving from the Midwest region to another part of the Midwest. The drive primarily uses surface roads, making it a relaxed, local-feeling excursion. It's a straightforward hop that's easy to fit into a schedule, especially if you're already in the Paoli area and looking to explore a bit further north.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
North Gospel Street 39.2 mi 48m
South Old State Road 37 2.7 mi 4m
South Henderson Street 1.9 mi 4m
South Walnut Street 1 mi 2m
East Winslow Road 0.2 mi <1m
South Indiana Avenue 0.2 mi <1m
North Court Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: North Gospel Street — 39.2 mi, about 48m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on SR 37

187 ft · 2 sec · North Court Street
2

Continue on SR 37

39 mi · 48 min · North Gospel Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
3

Turn right onto South Old State Road 37

2.7 mi · 4 min · South Old State Road 37
4

Continue on South Walnut Street

1.0 mi · 2 min · South Walnut Street
5

Turn right onto East Winslow Road

0.2 mi · 41 sec · East Winslow Road
6

Turn left onto South Henderson Street

1.9 mi · 4 min · South Henderson Street
7

Continue on South Indiana Avenue

0.2 mi · 30 sec · South Indiana Avenue
8

Turn right

99 ft · 7 sec
9

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

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

city in Lawrence County, Indiana, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Bedford, IN

23 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

Orleans, IN

Fuel and coffee

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

Redding, IN

Meal break

The midpoint is around 22.6 miles from Paoli, 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 5

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 45.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | SR 37 / North Gospel Street

Right onto SR 37 / North Gospel Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
3
39.2 mi into trip | ~48m in | South Old State Road 37

Turn right onto South Old State Road 37

Navigation decision point

3
43 mi into trip | ~54m in | East Winslow Road

Turn right onto East Winslow Road

Navigation decision point

3
43.2 mi into trip | ~55m in | South Henderson Street

Turn left onto South Henderson Street

Navigation decision point

5
45.2 mi into trip | ~1h in

Turn right

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.07 one way

$14.13 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 16 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $7.76 $15.52
premium $4.89 $8.70 $17.40
diesel $5.61 $9.98 $19.96

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 15.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 13.6 0 $4.75 $2.17
Efficient EV 11.3 0 $3.96 $1.81
EV Truck/SUV 18.1 0 $6.33 $2.89

Gas CO2

16 kg

EV CO2

5 kg (69% 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

Paoli, IN

Morning in Paoli on Tuesday

Local time

6:18 AM

EDT

Current temp

62°F

Sunny

NE 2 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 19 at 10:12PM EDT until April 23 at 2:00PM EDT by NWS Northern Indiana

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 19 at 10:12PM EDT until April 23 at 3:30PM EDT by NWS Northern Indiana

Destination

Bloomington, IN

Morning in Bloomington on Tuesday

Local time

6:18 AM

EDT

Current temp

61°F

Sunny

NNE 1 to 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 19 at 10:12PM EDT until April 23 at 2:00PM EDT by NWS Northern Indiana

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 19 at 10:12PM EDT until April 23 at 3:30PM EDT by NWS Northern Indiana

72°F

Bedford, IN

23 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

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

1h 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?

This route is entirely on surface roads, with a 0% highway share. You'll spend the entire 1 hour drive on local streets and state roads. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 39.2 miles on North Gospel Street. Expect to navigate through towns and rural areas, as indicated by the 'Mostly surface roads' profile, rather than high-speed highway cruising.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
9 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 39.2 mi on North Gospel Street.

How Hard Is This Drive?

1/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near SR 37 / North Gospel Street.

Driving Effort 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Paoli, IN to Bloomington, IN is easy. At 1h with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (SR 37 / North Gospel Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 39.2 miles (South Old State Road 37): Navigation decision point; at 43 miles (East Winslow Road): Navigation decision point.

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. Total distance: 45.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 39.2 miles on North Gospel Street. 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: near the start (SR 37 / North Gospel Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 39.2 miles (South Old State Road 37): Navigation decision point; at 43 miles (East Winslow Road): Navigation decision point.

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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