Origin
Clayton, MO
Late night in Clayton on Sunday
Local time
1:03 AM
CDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Clayton, MO to St. Louis, MO
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
13m
Distance
7.7 mi
12 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 12m
★
6 AM
0h 14m
8 AM
0h 16m
10 AM
0h 14m
12 PM
0h 14m
3 PM
0h 15m
5 PM
0h 16m
8 PM
0h 13m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Clayton, MO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Clayton, MO to St. Louis, MO is 7.7 miles and takes about 13m via Jack Buck Memorial Highway, with a fuel budget near $1 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within the Midwest region and the state of Missouri, making it an easy and accessible journey. Given its minimal distance and duration, this route is best suited for a single-day trip. Expect a local driving experience with frequent turns, ideal for those who don't want to spend much time on the road. It's a straightforward connection between two nearby points.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Jack Buck Memorial Highway | 5 mi | 6m |
| Clayton Road | 1 mi | 2m |
| South 14th Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Broadview Drive | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| Hillvale Drive | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Market Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Jack Buck Memorial Highway
— 5 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Clayton, MO and St. Louis, MO.
1
Start on Hillvale Drive
0.2 mi
·
53 sec
·
Hillvale Drive
2
Turn straight onto Broadview Drive
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Broadview Drive
3
Continue on Broadview Drive
76 ft
·
8 sec
·
Broadview Drive
4
Turn left onto Clayton Road
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Clayton Road
Use the left lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
57 sec
Toward I 64 East, US 40 East
6
Merge onto I 64; US 40
5.0 mi
·
6 min
·
Jack Buck Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 39A
Toward 14th Street
Use the slight right lane.
8
Turn left onto South 14th Street
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
South 14th Street
Use the left lane.
9
Turn right onto Market Street
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
Market Street
10
Arrive at destination
Market Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 7.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.5 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Clayton Road
Turn left onto Clayton Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
1.5 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the ramp toward I 64 East, US 40 East
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 64 East, US 40 East
5
1.9 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 64; US 40 / Jack Buck Memorial Highway
Merge onto I 64; US 40 / Jack Buck Memorial Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
7 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the exit toward 14th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 39A
Toward 14th Street
5
7.2 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
South 14th Street
Turn left onto South 14th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.20 one way
$2.41 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $1.32 | $2.64 |
| premium | $4.89 | $1.48 | $2.96 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.70 | $3.40 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.3 | 0 | $0.81 | $0.37 |
| Efficient EV | 1.9 | 0 | $0.67 | $0.31 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.1 | 0 | $1.08 | $0.49 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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
St. Louis, MO
Late night in St. Louis on Sunday
Local time
1:03 AM
CDT
Current temp
87°F
Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
S 3 to 15 mph
32% chance
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
29 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
13m 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 drive is characterized as a 'Turn-heavy local drive,' with a highway share of 0%, meaning you'll be navigating city streets and local roads for the entire 7.7 miles. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 5 miles, primarily on Jack Buck Memorial Highway. You'll be using a combination of Jack Buck Memorial Highway, Clayton Road, and South 14th Street. This type of route requires constant attention to traffic signals, intersections, and changing speed limits, rather than settling into a long, steady pace on a highway.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5 mi on Jack Buck Memorial Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near Clayton Road.
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 13m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (Clayton Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.5 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.9 miles (I 64; US 40 / Jack Buck Memorial Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in St. Louis, MO
Full guide →The Gateway City of St. Louis is the epitome of the modern Midwestern metropolis. Missouri's second-largest city is vibrant but laid-back, populous but navigable, historic but still relevant. The city's planners have created an aesthetically beautiful city, with plenty of green space amidst buildings both old and new, framed by the majestic Mississippi and Missouri rivers. And capping it all is the world's tallest man-made monument, the beautiful and iconic Gateway Arch. St. Louis is a city of culture and surprisingly inexpensive. Among American cities, only Washington, D.C. has more free attractions for tourists and residents alike. Hotels, restaurants, and even parking garages avoid the premium pricing common in other big cities. Although often overlooked, St. Louis can be an affordable, educational, and fun family getaway.
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 13m. Total distance: 7.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
13m 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 with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5 miles on Jack Buck Memorial Highway. 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 0.5 miles (Clayton Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.5 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.9 miles (I 64; US 40 / Jack Buck Memorial Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Gateway Arch National Park. 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 St. Louis, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From St. Louis, MO
More trips to St. Louis, MO
Explore more options from Clayton, MO or browse trips ending in St. Louis, MO.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MO road trips.