Origin
Salem, IN
Morning in Salem on Tuesday
Local time
8:14 AM
EDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Salem, IN to Bloomington, IN
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 20m
Distance
56.5 mi
91 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Fair
4 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 14m
★
6 AM
1h 20m
8 AM
1h 33m
10 AM
1h 25m
12 PM
1h 23m
3 PM
1h 25m
5 PM
1h 32m
8 PM
1h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Salem, IN
Banx Photography
Bloomington, IN
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Salem, IN to Bloomington, IN is 56.5 miles and takes about 1 hour 20 minutes via SR 37, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest and Indiana, offering a straightforward connection between two points. With most of the drive on highways, you can expect a relatively quick transit. The route is perfect for a single-day trip, allowing you to maximize your time at your destination. Consider this an easy hop rather than an extensive expedition.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| SR 37 | 26.9 mi | 32m |
| SR 60 | 21.8 mi | 32m |
| South Old State Road 37 | 2.7 mi | 4m |
| South Henderson Street | 1.9 mi | 4m |
| West Mulberry Street | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| South Walnut Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| West Hackberry Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Winslow Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
SR 37
— 26.9 mi, about 32m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Salem, IN and Bloomington, IN.
1
Start on Westside Road
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
Westside Road
2
Turn right onto North Main Street
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
North Main Street
3
Turn left onto SR 56; SR 60
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
West Hackberry Street
Use the left lane.
4
Continue on SR 56; SR 60
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
West Mulberry Street
5
Turn right onto SR 60
22 mi
·
32 min
·
SR 60
6
Turn right onto SR 37; SR 60
14 mi
·
15 min
·
SR 37; SR 60
7
Continue on SR 37; SR 58
13 mi
·
16 min
·
SR 37; SR 58
8
Turn right onto South Old State Road 37
2.7 mi
·
4 min
·
South Old State Road 37
9
Continue on South Walnut Street
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
South Walnut Street
10
Turn right onto East Winslow Road
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
East Winslow Road
11
Turn left onto South Henderson Street
1.9 mi
·
4 min
·
South Henderson Street
12
Continue on South Indiana Avenue
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
South Indiana Avenue
13
Turn right
99 ft
·
7 sec
14
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
28 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 28.2 miles from Salem, 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 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 56.5 — 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
|
North Main Street
Turn right onto North Main Street
Navigation decision point
6
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
SR 56; SR 60 / West Hackberry Street
Turn left onto SR 56; SR 60 / West Hackberry Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
3
1.8 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
SR 60
Turn right onto SR 60
Navigation decision point
3
23.6 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
SR 37; SR 60
Turn right onto SR 37; SR 60
Navigation decision point
5
56.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 20m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.83 one way
$17.67 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $9.70 | $19.40 |
| premium | $4.89 | $10.87 | $21.75 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.47 | $24.95 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17 | 0 | $5.93 | $2.71 |
| Efficient EV | 14.1 | 0 | $4.94 | $2.26 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.6 | 0 | $7.91 | $3.62 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 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.
Destination
Bloomington, IN
Morning in Bloomington on Tuesday
Local time
8:14 AM
EDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
54°F
Redding, IN
28 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 20m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is predominantly highway, with 86% of the 56.5 miles on major roads. You'll experience a longest stretch of 26.9 miles on SR 37, indicating a good amount of uninterrupted cruising. The transition to surface roads will occur as you near your destination in Bloomington. Expect a sense of straightforward travel with fewer complex intersections for most of the journey.
86% 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: 26.9 mi on SR 37.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on SR 37 and SR 60. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near North Main Street.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 20m 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 0.1 miles (North Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (SR 56; SR 60 / West Hackberry Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.8 miles (SR 60): 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 20m. Total distance: 56.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (86%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 26.9 miles on SR 37. 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 (North Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (SR 56; SR 60 / West Hackberry Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.8 miles (SR 60): 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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