Platteville, WI to Bloomington, WI is 30.5 miles and takes about 48m via State Highway 81, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest, specifically Wisconsin, making it an easy same-day excursion. You'll primarily be on state highways, so expect a straightforward drive without the intensity of interstate travel. It's a good option if you're looking for a quick connection between two points in the region, offering a relaxed pace for a brief journey.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
State Highway 81
12.2 mi
16m
State Highway 35
11.7 mi
17m
Kingsford Road
1.9 mi
2m
Highway 35 and 61
1.3 mi
2m
US Highway 61
0.7 mi
<1m
South Madison Street
0.7 mi
2m
Lancaster Street
0.7 mi
1m
North Chestnut Street
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
State Highway 81
— 12.2 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Platteville, WI and Bloomington, WI.
1
Start on CTH B
507 ft·32 sec·West Main Street
2
Turn right onto WI 81
0.2 mi·48 sec·North Chestnut Street
3
At end of road, turn left onto WI 81
0.1 mi·24 sec·West Adams Street
4
Turn slight right onto WI 81
0.7 mi·1 min·Lancaster Street
5
Continue on WI 81
9.7 mi·13 min·State Highway 81
6
Continue on WI 81
1.9 mi·2 min·Kingsford Road
7
Continue on this road
443 ft·7 sec·this road
8
Enter roundabout
70 ft·1 sec
9
Continue
485 ft·7 sec
10
Merge onto US 61; WI 35; WI 81
0.7 mi·59 sec·US Highway 61
11
Continue on US 61; WI 35; WI 81
1.3 mi·2 min·Highway 35 and 61
12
Continue on US 61; WI 35; WI 81
0.7 mi·2 min·South Madison Street
13
Turn left onto West Walnut Street
0.2 mi·59 sec·West Walnut Street
14
At end of road, turn left onto WI 35; WI 81
356 ft·6 sec·South Harrison Street
15
Continue on WI 35; WI 81
0.2 mi·13 sec·Beetown Road
16
Continue on WI 35; WI 81
4.2 mi·6 min·State Highway 35
17
Continue on WI 35; WI 81
2.5 mi·3 min·State Highway 81
18
Turn straight onto WI 35
7.5 mi·11 min·State Highway 35
19
Turn right onto Mill Street
0.1 mi·34 sec·Mill Street
20
Arrive at destination
Mill Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 15.3 miles from Platteville, WI, 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 7
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 16 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|WI 81 / North Chestnut Street
Turn right onto WI 81 / North Chestnut Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.3 mi into trip|~1m in|WI 81 / West Adams Street
At end of road, turn left onto WI 81 / West Adams Street
Navigation decision point
6
12.9 mi into trip|~19m in
Enter roundabout
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
3
13 mi into trip|~19m in|US 61; WI 35; WI 81 / US Highway 61
Merge onto US 61; WI 35; WI 81 / US Highway 61
Merge point - match speed before joining
6
16 mi into trip|~26m in|WI 35; WI 81 / South Harrison Street
At end of road, turn left onto WI 35; WI 81 / South Harrison Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.50 one way
$9.01 round trip
$3.75/gal25.4 MPG avg11 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.14
$4.97
$9.94
premium
$4.72
$5.66
$11.33
diesel
$4.80
$5.76
$11.52
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.7 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging
· 0 stops
· 64% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
9.2
0
$3.20
$1.46
Efficient EV
7.6
0
$2.67
$1.22
EV Truck/SUV
12.2
0
$4.27
$1.95
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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 Jul 12, 2026
Origin
Platteville, WI
Late night
in Platteville on Monday
Local time
2:41 AM
CDT
Current temp
88°F
Sunny
E 2 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 12 at 2:43AM CDT until July 14 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 11 at 11:50PM CDT until July 14 at 1:00AM CDT by NWS Duluth MN
Destination
Bloomington, WI
Late night
in Bloomington on Monday
Local time
2:41 AM
CDT
Current temp
87°F
Sunny
SE 2 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 12 at 2:43AM CDT until July 14 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 11 at 11:50PM CDT until July 14 at 1:00AM CDT by NWS Duluth MN
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
48m 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 a highway-focused drive, with 85% of the journey on established highways. You'll spend most of your time on State Highway 81, which accounts for the longest uninterrupted stretch of 12.2 miles. Expect a consistent driving experience, largely following well-maintained state roads that connect communities. The character remains fairly constant, making it predictable and easy to navigate without significant changes in road type or speed.
85% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.2 mi on State Highway 81.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on State Highway 81 and State Highway 35. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near WI 81 / North Chestnut Street.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 48m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (WI 81 / North Chestnut Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (WI 81 / West Adams Street): Navigation decision point; at 12.9 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,084 ft779 ft
Total Climb
635 ft
Total Descent
665 ft
Highest Point
1,084 ft
~13.1 mi in
Elevation Range
304 ft
Detours Along the Way
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
The longest stretch is about 12.2 miles on State Highway 81. 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 0.1 miles (WI 81 / North Chestnut Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (WI 81 / West Adams Street): Navigation decision point; at 12.9 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Bloomington, WI before heading back.
