This 152.7-mile drive from Kansas City, MO to Mount Pleasant, MO is a manageable one-day trip, taking approximately 3 hours and 8 minutes. With an estimated fuel cost of $24, it's an economical option for exploring more of the Midwest. The route primarily utilizes the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway and US 65, offering a blend of driving experiences. You'll spend about 32% of your time on highways, making it a straightforward journey without the need for an overnight stay. This trip is perfect for a leisurely weekend excursion, allowing you to reach your destination with plenty of daylight left.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
76.4 miles from Kansas City, MO
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 25m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
52.5 mi
56m
East Broadway Boulevard
24.3 mi
32m
US 65
15.9 mi
18m
MO 52
15.8 mi
21m
MO 5
14.5 mi
18m
U.S. Submarine Veterans' Memorial Highway
8.5 mi
9m
George Brett Super Highway
6.9 mi
9m
Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway
5.6 mi
6m
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 52.5 mi, about 56m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Kansas City, MO and Mount Pleasant, MO.
8.5 mi·9 min·U.S. Submarine Veterans' Memorial Highway
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi·46 sec
Exit 78AToward US 65 South: Sedalia
12
Merge onto US 65
16 mi·18 min·US 65
13
Turn slight left onto MO 765
0.1 mi·14 sec·MO 765
Toward MO 765: Sedalia
14
Continue on MO 765
0.2 mi·16 sec·MO 765
15
Turn straight onto North Ohio Avenue
0.9 mi·2 min·North Ohio Avenue
16
Turn left onto East Pettis Street
0.4 mi·1 min·East Pettis Street
17
Continue on West Saline Street
0.3 mi·50 sec·West Saline Street
18
Turn right onto North Engineer Avenue
0.5 mi·1 min·North Engineer Avenue
19
Turn left onto US 50
24 mi·32 min·East Broadway Boulevard
20
Turn right onto MO 5
14 mi·18 min·MO 5
Use the right lane.
21
At end of road, turn left onto MO 52
16 mi·21 min·MO 52
22
Continue on US 54 Bus; MO 87
0.6 mi·1 min·US 54 Bus; MO 87
23
Continue on US 54 Business
1.2 mi·2 min·US 54 Business
24
Take the ramp
0.4 mi·52 sec
Toward US 54 East: Jefferson City
25
Merge onto US 54
1.0 mi·1 min·US 54
26
Turn straight onto US 54
487 ft·6 sec·US 54
27
Turn right onto MO FF
387 ft·13 sec·MO FF
28
Turn right onto Doyle Road
267 ft·11 sec·Doyle Road
29
Arrive at destination
Doyle Road
Trip Plan
For this 3-hour drive, departing Kansas City in the morning allows you to arrive in Mount Pleasant well before midday. With only one recommended stop, you have the flexibility to take breaks as needed without feeling rushed. Keep an eye on your fuel levels, especially during the 52.5-mile stretch on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, to ensure smooth progress. Given the relatively short duration and manageable distance, you can easily complete this trip in a single day, making it ideal for a spontaneous road trip.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 76.4 miles from Kansas City, MO, or about 1h 25m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 52.5 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 34 miles or 39m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 76.4 miles or 1h 25m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 30m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Mount Pleasant, MO than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Kansas City, MO so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Kansas City, MO
This is one driving day of about 152.7 miles and 3h 8m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 34 miles from Kansas City, MO.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway for about 52.5 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 15
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 119 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip|~0m in|East 12th Street
Turn right onto East 12th Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.3 mi into trip|~0m in
Take the ramp toward I 70 East, US 40 East
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 70 East, US 40 East
5
0.6 mi into trip|~1m in|I 70; US 24; US 40 / George Brett Super Highway
Merge onto I 70; US 24; US 40 / George Brett Super Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
75.9 mi into trip|~1h 25m in
Take the exit toward US 65 South: Sedalia
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 78A
Toward US 65 South: Sedalia
5
119 mi into trip|~2h 22m in|MO 5
Turn right onto MO 5
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$23.87 one way
$47.75 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg53 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$26.21
$52.42
premium
$4.89
$29.39
$58.77
diesel
$5.61
$33.71
$67.43
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$24
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$49–$74
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 53.4 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $16 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
45.8
0
$16.03
$7.33
Efficient EV
38.2
0
$13.36
$6.11
EV Truck/SUV
61.1
0
$21.38
$9.77
Gas CO2
53 kg
EV CO2
18 kg (66% 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 15, 2026
Origin
Kansas City, MO
Morning
in Kansas City on Sunday
Local time
9:57 AM
CDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Mount Pleasant, MO
Morning
in Mount Pleasant on Sunday
Local time
9:57 AM
CDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
71°F
Marshall, MO
76 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
3h 8m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
The drive offers a mixed profile, transitioning between the faster pace of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway and the more local feel of East Broadway Boulevard and US 65. You'll encounter a longest uninterrupted stretch of 52.5 miles on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, providing a solid block of highway cruising. As you progress, expect the character of the road to evolve, moving from major thoroughfare to potentially more direct, regional connections. This variation ensures the journey remains engaging, avoiding the monotony of a pure interstate experience.
32% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
29 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 52.5 mi on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 15 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near East 12th Street.
Driving Effort5/10
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 152.7 miles you will encounter 15 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: near the start (East 12th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.6 miles (I 70; US 24; US 40 / George Brett Super Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Kansas City is a major Midwestern metropolitan area that spreads across the border of Missouri and Kansas. It is a city that tends to hide itself from tourists. Reputed to have more boulevards than Paris and more fountains than any other city in the world except for Rome, it can be a beautiful city, too. It is unique in that it is split down the middle by the state line of Kansas and Missouri.
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 8m. Total distance: 152.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 8m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (32%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 52.5 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
We did not find dedicated rest areas on this route. For a drive this long, plan bathroom and stretch breaks around gas stations, fast-food stops, or small-town downtowns — check the Nearby Places section for options.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (East 12th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.6 miles (I 70; US 24; US 40 / George Brett Super Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Possible but tiring. At 3.1 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 6.3 hours — manageable with a long break at Mount Pleasant, MO, but most travelers stay overnight.
