Origin
Garden City, MO
Late night in Garden City on Sunday
Local time
3:49 AM
CDT
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Garden City, MO to Lee's Summit, MO
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
42m
Distance
30.9 mi
50 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 39m
★
6 AM
0h 42m
8 AM
0h 49m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 44m
3 PM
0h 45m
5 PM
0h 49m
8 PM
0h 40m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Garden City, MO
Wikimedia Commons
Lee's Summit, MO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling the 30.9 miles from Garden City to Lee's Summit is a quick, straightforward trip that typically takes about 36 minutes. Because of the short distance, this is a perfect day trip that requires no overnight stay. You will primarily navigate via I-49 North, MO-291 North, and Southwest Jefferson Street to complete the journey. With a fuel budget of just $5, this is an incredibly economical route to traverse within the Midwest. Whether you are commuting or heading out for a local visit, the brevity of this drive makes it easy to fit into any schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MO 7 | 11.9 mi | 13m |
| MO 58 | 8.5 mi | 11m |
| MO 291 | 8.3 mi | 12m |
| MO F | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Southwest Jefferson Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Southwest 3rd Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
MO 7
— 11.9 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Garden City, MO and Lee's Summit, MO.
1
Start on Main Street
0.2 mi
·
37 sec
·
Main Street
2
At end of road, turn right onto MO F
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
MO F
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
4
Merge onto MO 7
8.6 mi
·
9 min
·
MO 7
5
Take the exit onto MO 7
3.3 mi
·
3 min
·
MO 7
Toward I 49 North, US 71 North, MO 7 North: Kansas City
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
Exit 160
Toward MO 291 North: Lee's Summit
7
Keep slight right at fork
243 ft
·
6 sec
Toward MO 291 North: Lee's Summit
8
Merge onto MO 291
8.3 mi
·
12 min
·
MO 291
9
Turn slight left onto MO 58; MO 291
8.5 mi
·
11 min
·
MO 58; MO 291
10
Continue on Southwest Jefferson Street
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
Southwest Jefferson Street
11
Enter roundabout onto Southwest Jefferson Street
189 ft
·
3 sec
·
Southwest Jefferson Street
12
Continue on Southwest Jefferson Street
0.5 mi
·
53 sec
·
Southwest Jefferson Street
13
Turn left onto Southwest 3rd Street
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
·
Southwest 3rd Street
Use the left lane.
14
Arrive at destination
Southwest 3rd Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 9.8 and 30.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
9.8 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
MO 7
Take the exit onto MO 7 toward I 49 North, US 71 North, MO 7 North: Kansas City
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 49 North, US 71 North, MO 7 North: Kan...
5
13.1 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit toward MO 291 North: Lee's Summit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 160
Toward MO 291 North: Lee's Summit
6
13.2 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Keep slight right at fork toward MO 291 North: Lee's Summit
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward MO 291 North: Lee's Summit
5
30.3 mi into trip
|
~41m in
|
Southwest Jefferson Street
Enter roundabout onto Southwest Jefferson Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
30.8 mi into trip
|
~42m in
|
Southwest 3rd Street
Turn left onto Southwest 3rd Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.83 one way
$9.66 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $5.30 | $10.61 |
| premium | $4.89 | $5.95 | $11.89 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.82 | $13.64 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.8 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 | $3.24 | $1.48 |
| Efficient EV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.70 | $1.24 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.4 | 0 | $4.33 | $1.98 |
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
Lee's Summit, MO
Late night in Lee's Summit on Sunday
Local time
3:49 AM
CDT
Current temp
73°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
18 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
42m 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 turn-heavy local drive that moves away from the typical monotonous interstate grind. You will navigate a variety of road types, transitioning through several segments as you head north. While the route utilizes major thoroughfares like I-49 and MO-291, it maintains a local feel rather than a long-haul highway experience. Because the entire trip is under 31 miles, you won't encounter any exceptionally long, uninterrupted stretches of road. Stay alert at the intersections, as the changing road types require consistent attention behind the wheel.
93% 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: 11.9 mi on MO 7.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on MO 7 and MO 58. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 9.8 miles in near MO 7.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 30.9 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 9.8 miles (MO 7): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 13.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 42m. Total distance: 30.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (93%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.9 miles on MO 7. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Lee's Summit, MO before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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 9.8 miles (MO 7): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 13.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Lee's Summit, 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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