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Trip from Jackson, MO to Cape Girardeau, MO

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

18m

Distance

10.3 mi

17 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 17m ★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 20m
5 PM
0h 21m
8 PM
0h 17m ★

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in and county seat of Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, United States

Jackson, MO

Wikimedia Commons

city in Cape Girardeau and Scott Counties in the U.S. state of Missouri

Cape Girardeau, MO

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are looking to travel between Jackson and Cape Girardeau, you are in for a quick, 10.3-mile trip that takes approximately 18 minutes. This short jaunt is entirely local, making it an easy day trip that requires no overnight stay. With a fuel budget of just $2, it is an incredibly economical route to navigate within the Missouri Midwest. You will not need to worry about planning for multiple stops, as the distance is short enough to complete in one straightforward go. It is a practical, no-nonsense drive that connects two neighboring towns efficiently.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
East Jackson Boulevard 4.2 mi 7m
North Kingshighway 3.6 mi 6m
Broadway Street 2 mi 3m
South Hope Street 0.4 mi 1m
East Main Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: East Jackson Boulevard — 4.2 mi, about 7m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Jackson, MO and Cape Girardeau, MO.

1

Start on East Main Street

28 ft · 8 sec · East Main Street
2

Turn sharp left

83 ft · 2 sec
3

Enter roundabout onto I 55 Bus; US 61

203 ft · 3 sec · South Hope Street
Toward I 55 Business, US 61 South
4

Continue on I 55 Bus; US 61

0.4 mi · 58 sec · South Hope Street
Toward I 55 Business, US 61 South
5

Turn left onto I 55 Bus; US 61; MO 34

4.2 mi · 7 min · East Jackson Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
6

Continue on I 55 Bus; US 61; MO 34

3.6 mi · 6 min · North Kingshighway
7

Turn left onto Broadway Street

2.0 mi · 3 min · Broadway Street
8

Arrive at destination

Broadway Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 5

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 8.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
0 mi into trip | ~0m in

Turn sharp left

Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach

7
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | I 55 Bus; US 61 / South Hope Street

Enter roundabout onto I 55 Bus; US 61 / South Hope Street toward I 55 Business, US 61 South

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 55 Business, US 61 South
3
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | I 55 Bus; US 61 / South Hope Street

Slight right onto I 55 Bus; US 61 / South Hope Street toward I 55 Business, US 61 South

Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 55 Business, US 61 South
5
0.4 mi into trip | ~1m in | I 55 Bus; US 61; MO 34 / East Jackson Boulevard

Turn left onto I 55 Bus; US 61; MO 34 / East Jackson Boulevard

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
3
8.3 mi into trip | ~14m in | Broadway Street

Turn left onto Broadway Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$1.61 one way

$3.22 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 4 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $1.77 $3.54
premium $4.89 $1.98 $3.96
diesel $5.61 $2.27 $4.55

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 3.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 3.1 0 $1.08 $0.49
Efficient EV 2.6 0 $0.90 $0.41
EV Truck/SUV 4.1 0 $1.44 $0.66

Gas CO2

4 kg

EV CO2

1 kg (75% 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 18, 2026

Origin

Jackson, MO

Night in Jackson on Saturday

Local time

9:46 PM

CDT

Current temp

50°F

Showers And Thunderstorms

SSW 13 mph 87% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 18 at 2:43AM CDT by NWS St Louis MO

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 18 at 2:07AM CDT until April 19 at 5:30PM CDT by NWS Springfield MO

Destination

Cape Girardeau, MO

Night in Cape Girardeau on Saturday

Local time

9:46 PM

CDT

Current temp

81°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

31 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

18m 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 turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous interstate cruise, as this route features zero percent highway travel. You will navigate through town using East Jackson Boulevard, North Kingshighway, and Broadway Street. The longest uninterrupted stretch you will encounter is 4.2 miles on East Jackson Boulevard, which provides the most consistent segment of the journey. Because you are staying off the highways, be prepared for more frequent turns and typical local traffic patterns. It is an uncomplicated, hands-on driving experience that keeps you engaged from start to finish.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
8 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4.2 mi on East Jackson Boulevard.

How Hard Is This Drive?

3/10

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 early in the drive.

Driving Effort 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 18m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start: Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; near the start (I 55 Bus; US 61 / South Hope Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.1 miles (I 55 Bus; US 61 / South Hope Street): Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

538 ft 352 ft

Total Climb

115 ft

Total Descent

248 ft

Highest Point

538 ft

~4.3 mi in

Elevation Range

187 ft

About the Cities

Arriving in Cape Girardeau, MO

Full guide →

Cape Girardeau is a city named after a French soldier/trader in southeastern Missouri. Watch out for murals and flood walls in this college town.

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 18m. Total distance: 10.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

18m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 4.2 miles on East Jackson Boulevard. 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: near the start: Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; near the start (I 55 Bus; US 61 / South Hope Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.1 miles (I 55 Bus; US 61 / South Hope Street): Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Cape Girardeau, 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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