Origin
Columbia, MO
Late night in Columbia on Sunday
Local time
5:00 AM
CDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Columbia, MO to Jefferson City, MO
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
31.1 mi
50 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Jefferson City, MO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a quick excursion between Columbia and Jefferson City, you can expect a straightforward 31.1-mile journey that typically takes about 38 minutes. This highway-focused route is easily manageable as a single-day trip, requiring no overnight stays. You will primarily navigate via US 63, East Stadium Boulevard, and North Providence Road. With a fuel budget of just $5, this is an incredibly economical drive within the Midwest. It serves as a practical connection between these two Missouri cities, offering a no-nonsense path for commuters or casual travelers.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 63 | 26.8 mi | 29m |
| East Stadium Boulevard | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| North Providence Road | 1 mi | 2m |
| West Main Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| West High Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Broadway Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| East Wall Way | <0.1 mi | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
US 63
— 26.8 mi, about 29m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Columbia, MO and Jefferson City, MO.
1
Start on MO 163
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
North Providence Road
2
Turn left onto MO 740
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
East Stadium Boulevard
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Toward US 63 South: Jefferson City
4
Merge onto US 63
25 mi
·
27 min
·
US 63
5
Take the exit onto US 63
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
US 63
Toward US 54 West, US 63 South: Jefferson City
6
Take the exit
388 ft
·
18 sec
Toward State Capitol
7
Turn left onto West Main Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
West Main Street
8
Turn right onto Broadway Street
446 ft
·
26 sec
·
Broadway Street
9
Turn left onto West High Street
0.2 mi
·
38 sec
·
West High Street
10
Turn right
254 ft
·
25 sec
11
At end of road, turn left onto East Wall Way
6 ft
·
0 sec
·
East Wall Way
12
Arrive at destination
East Wall Way
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 1 and 31.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
MO 740 / East Stadium Boulevard
Turn left onto MO 740 / East Stadium Boulevard
Navigation decision point
4
3.2 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the ramp toward US 63 South: Jefferson City
Navigation decision point
Toward US 63 South: Jefferson City
5
28.8 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
US 63
Take the exit onto US 63 toward US 54 West, US 63 South: Jefferson City
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 54 West, US 63 South: Jefferson City
5
30.9 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
West High Street
Turn left onto West High Street
Navigation decision point
6
31.1 mi into trip
|
~38m in
|
East Wall Way
At end of road, turn left onto East Wall Way
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.86 one way
$9.72 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.34 | $10.68 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.98 | $11.97 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.87 | $13.73 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.3 | 0 | $3.27 | $1.49 |
| Efficient EV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.72 | $1.24 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.4 | 0 | $4.35 | $1.99 |
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.
Destination
Jefferson City, MO
Late night in Jefferson City on Sunday
Local time
5:00 AM
CDT
Current temp
60°F
Mostly Cloudy
SE 7 mph
0% 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
14 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
38m 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?
Expect a highly efficient trip, as 86% of your drive will be spent on highways. The road's personality is defined by its focus on speed and directness rather than winding, scenic detours. You will spend the vast majority of your time on a 26.8-mile stretch of US 63, which serves as the backbone of your journey. Because the route is so concentrated on highway travel, you can anticipate a consistent, fast-paced experience behind the wheel. The transition between local streets like North Providence Road and the main highway artery is seamless, keeping the drive feeling professional and focused.
86% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 26.8 mi on US 63.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 63 and East Stadium Boulevard. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 1 miles in near MO 740 / East Stadium Boulevard.
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 38m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1 miles (MO 740 / East Stadium Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 3.2 miles: Navigation decision point; at 28.8 miles (US 63): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Columbia, MO
Full guide →Columbia is a bustling college town in Missouri, halfway between St. Louis and Kansas City. It is home of the University of Missouri (also known as 'Mizzou') as well as two other post-secondary institutions Stephens College and Columbia College.
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 38m. Total distance: 31.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m 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 26.8 miles on US 63. 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 1 miles (MO 740 / East Stadium Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 3.2 miles: Navigation decision point; at 28.8 miles (US 63): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Jefferson City, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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