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Trip from Washburn, IL to Bloomington, IL

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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 9m

Distance

47.2 mi

76 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 4m ★
6 AM
1h 10m
8 AM
1h 21m
10 AM
1h 14m
12 PM
1h 13m
3 PM
1h 14m
5 PM
1h 20m
8 PM
1h 6m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

village mostly in Woodford County, Illinois, USA

Washburn, IL

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Washburn to Bloomington is 47.2 miles and takes about 1 hour 9 minutes via I 74, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Illinois, connecting two points in the Midwest. It's a straightforward drive, primarily on the interstate, making it a convenient option for a quick transit. Given its brief duration, it's ideal for a single-day excursion with no need for an overnight stay.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 74 17.8 mi 19m
County Road 1400 East 12 mi 19m
State Route 89 8.8 mi 15m
State Route 116 3.9 mi 5m
West Market Street 2 mi 5m
North Niles Street 0.7 mi 1m
East Mount Vernon Street 0.6 mi 1m
West Parkside Drive 0.4 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 74 — 17.8 mi, about 19m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Washburn, IL and Bloomington, IL.

1

Start on IL 89

0.2 mi · 18 sec · North Jefferson Street
2

Continue on IL 89

0.4 mi · 38 sec · West Parkside Drive
3

Continue on IL 89

8.8 mi · 15 min · State Route 89
4

Continue on IL 89

0.7 mi · 1 min · North Niles Street
5

Turn left onto IL 116

0.6 mi · 1 min · East Mount Vernon Street
6

Continue on IL 116

3.9 mi · 5 min · State Route 116
7

Turn right onto IL 117

12 mi · 19 min · County Road 1400 East
8

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 19 sec
Toward I 74 East
9

Merge onto I 74

14 mi · 15 min · I 74
10

Keep slight right at fork onto I 74

3.8 mi · 4 min · I 74
Toward I 55 South, I 74 East, US 51 South: Saint Louis, Indianapolis
11

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 45 sec
Exit 160 Toward US 150, IL 9: Pekin Use the left lane.
12

Turn left onto US 150; IL 9

2.0 mi · 5 min · West Market Street
Use the left lane.
13

At end of road, turn left onto US 51 Business

0.1 mi · 20 sec · North East Street
14

Arrive at destination

US 51 Business

Where to Stop

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

city in Woodford County, Illinois, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Eureka, IL

24 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.

Popular next leg

Eureka, IL to Bloomington, IL

27.7 mi · 36m

Pacing Suggestions

Cazenovia, IL

Fuel and coffee

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

Eureka, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 23.6 miles from Washburn, IL, 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 10 and 47.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
10 mi into trip | ~17m in | IL 116 / East Mount Vernon Street

Turn left onto IL 116 / East Mount Vernon Street

Navigation decision point

6
40.9 mi into trip | ~59m in | I 74

Keep slight right at fork onto I 74 toward I 55 South, I 74 East, US 51 South: Saint Louis, Indianapolis

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 55 South, I 74 East, US 51 South: Sain...
8
44.6 mi into trip | ~1h 3m in

Take the exit toward US 150, IL 9: Pekin

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the left lane. Exit 160 Toward US 150, IL 9: Pekin
5
45 mi into trip | ~1h 4m in | US 150; IL 9 / West Market Street

Turn left onto US 150; IL 9 / West Market Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
47.1 mi into trip | ~1h 9m in | US 51 Business / North East Street

At end of road, turn left onto US 51 Business / North East Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.38 one way

$14.76 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 17 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $8.10 $16.20
premium $4.89 $9.08 $18.17
diesel $5.61 $10.42 $20.84

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 16.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 14.2 0 $4.96 $2.27
Efficient EV 11.8 0 $4.13 $1.89
EV Truck/SUV 18.9 0 $6.61 $3.02

Gas CO2

17 kg

EV CO2

6 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.

Forecast as of Apr 20, 2026

Origin

Washburn, IL

Late night in Washburn on Tuesday

Local time

4:27 AM

CDT

Current temp

67°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Bloomington, IL

Late night in Bloomington on Tuesday

Local time

4:27 AM

CDT

Current temp

68°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

49°F

Eureka, IL

24 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 warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

1h 9m 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 is a highway-focused drive, with 65% of the route utilizing interstate or major highways like I 74. You'll experience a significant stretch of 17.8 miles on I 74 without interruption. The journey transitions between interstate cruising and county and state routes, offering a mix of faster travel and more local road experiences. Expect a profile that leans heavily towards efficient, high-speed travel for most of its length.

65% 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: 17.8 mi on I 74.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 74 and County Road 1400 East. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 10 miles in near IL 116 / East Mount Vernon Street.

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 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: at 10 miles (IL 116 / East Mount Vernon Street): Navigation decision point; at 40.9 miles (I 74): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 44.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Washburn, IL to Bloomington, IL, road signs begin pointing toward Indianapolis along the way.

Indianapolis

40.9 mi in | ~59m | via I 74

About the Cities

Starting in Washburn, IL

Full guide →

Arriving in Bloomington, IL

Full guide →

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

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 9m. Total distance: 47.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 9m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (65%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 17.8 miles on I 74. 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 10 miles (IL 116 / East Mount Vernon Street): Navigation decision point; at 40.9 miles (I 74): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 44.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

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