Origin
Carthage, MO
Night in Carthage on Saturday
Local time
11:15 PM
CDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Carthage, MO to Joplin, MO
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
25m
Distance
16.3 mi
26 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Fair
4 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 24m
★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 30m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 27m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 30m
8 PM
0h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Carthage, MO
Valeria Boltneva
Joplin, MO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This quick 16.3-mile drive from Carthage, MO, to Joplin, MO, is easily manageable within a single day, taking only about 25 minutes. The route primarily utilizes I-49 Business, North Main Street Road, and West Macarthur Drive, offering a mixed driving experience. With a modest fuel cost estimated at $3, this trip is budget-friendly for a short excursion. Given its brevity, you won't need to split this into an overnight journey. Both Carthage and Joplin are nestled in the Midwest region, so you'll experience a consistent regional feel throughout this straightforward hop.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 49 Business | 7.8 mi | 8m |
| North Main Street Road | 4.1 mi | 8m |
| West Macarthur Drive | 2 mi | 3m |
| East Central Avenue | 1.3 mi | 3m |
| East MacArthur Drive | 1 mi | 1m |
| South Grant Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 49 Business
— 7.8 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Carthage, MO and Joplin, MO.
1
Start on South Grant Street
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
South Grant Street
2
At end of road, turn left onto US Historic 66; MO 96
1.3 mi
·
3 min
·
East Central Avenue
3
Continue on I 49 Business; MO 96; MO 171
6.7 mi
·
7 min
·
I 49 Business; MO 96; MO 171
Toward I 49 Business, MO 96 West, MO 171 North: Webb City
Use the straight lane.
4
Keep slight right at fork onto I 49 Business; MO 171
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
I 49 Business; MO 171
Toward I 49 Business, MO 171 North: Webb City
5
Enter roundabout onto I 49 Business; MO 171
235 ft
·
3 sec
·
East MacArthur Drive
6
Continue on I 49 Business; MO 171
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
East MacArthur Drive
7
Continue on MO 171
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
West Macarthur Drive
8
Enter roundabout onto MO 43
254 ft
·
6 sec
·
North Main Street Road
9
Continue on MO 43
4.0 mi
·
8 min
·
North Main Street Road
10
Turn left
60 ft
·
6 sec
11
Turn right
83 ft
·
6 sec
12
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 16.3 — 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
|
US Historic 66; MO 96 / East Central Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto US Historic 66; MO 96 / East Central Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
1.4 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
I 49 Business; MO 96; MO 171
Continue onto I 49 Business; MO 96; MO 171 toward I 49 Business, MO 96 West, MO 171 North: Webb City
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight lane.
Toward I 49 Business, MO 96 West, MO 171 North:...
6
8.1 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
I 49 Business; MO 171
Keep slight right at fork onto I 49 Business; MO 171 toward I 49 Business, MO 171 North: Webb City
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 49 Business, MO 171 North: Webb City
5
9.2 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
I 49 Business; MO 171 / East MacArthur Drive
Enter roundabout onto I 49 Business; MO 171 / East MacArthur Drive
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
16.3 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.55 one way
$5.10 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.80 | $5.60 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.14 | $6.27 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.60 | $7.20 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.71 | $0.78 |
| Efficient EV | 4.1 | 0 | $1.43 | $0.65 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.5 | 0 | $2.28 | $1.04 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (67% 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
Joplin, MO
Night in Joplin on Saturday
Local time
11:15 PM
CDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
25m 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?
Expect a drive that's about 48% highway, blending faster-paced sections with more local road cruising. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 7.8 miles on I-49 Business, offering a good period of consistent speed. As you transition between roads like I-49 Business and North Main Street Road, you'll notice the character shifting from a more open highway feel to potentially more developed or urban stretches. This mixed profile means you'll experience a bit of everything behind the wheel, keeping the journey dynamic for its short duration.
48% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.8 mi on I 49 Business.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near US Historic 66; MO 96 / East Central Avenue.
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 25m 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 (US Historic 66; MO 96 / East Central Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.4 miles (I 49 Business; MO 96; MO 171): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8.1 miles (I 49 Business; MO 171): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Carthage, MO
Full guide →Carthage is a city of about 15,500 (2020) in Southwest Missouri, It is known as "America's Maple Leaf City".
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 25m. Total distance: 16.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
25m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (48%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.8 miles on I 49 Business. 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 (US Historic 66; MO 96 / East Central Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.4 miles (I 49 Business; MO 96; MO 171): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8.1 miles (I 49 Business; MO 171): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — George Washington Carver National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Joplin, MO 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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