Origin
Kirkwood, MO
Late night in Kirkwood on Tuesday
Local time
3:54 AM
CDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Kirkwood, MO to Saint Charles, MO
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
27m
Distance
18.3 mi
29 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 26m
★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 33m
10 AM
0h 30m
12 PM
0h 29m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 33m
8 PM
0h 27m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Kirkwood, MO
Wikimedia Commons
Saint Charles, MO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 18.6-mile drive from Kirkwood, MO to Saint Charles, MO is a quick trip, estimated to take around 25 minutes. It's a perfect candidate for a single-day excursion, easily fitting into an afternoon or morning. You'll primarily navigate using North Geyer Road and Manchester Road, with a portion on I-270 North. With a modest fuel cost of approximately $3, this journey through the Midwest is more of a local transit than an epic adventure. The route's turn-heavy profile suggests you'll be actively engaged with navigation, making it a hands-on driving experience.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 270 | 8.6 mi | 10m |
| I 70 | 2.7 mi | 3m |
| Manchester Road | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| North Geyer Road | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| South Fifth Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| West Adams Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Jefferson Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Second Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 270
— 8.6 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Kirkwood, MO and Saint Charles, MO.
1
Start on West Adams Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Adams Avenue
2
Turn right onto North Geyer Road
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
North Geyer Road
3
Turn left onto MO 100
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Manchester Road
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
14 sec
Toward I 270 North
5
Merge onto I 270
8.6 mi
·
10 min
·
I 270
Use the straight lane.
6
Take the exit
1.0 mi
·
1 min
Exit 20A
Toward I 70: Kansas City, Saint Louis, Saint Louis Lambert International Airport
Use the slight right lane.
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
Toward I 70 West: Kansas City
Use the slight left lane.
8
Continue on this road
0.6 mi
·
57 sec
·
this road
Exit 20B
Toward I 70 West: Kansas City
9
Merge onto I 70
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
I 70
10
Take the exit onto I 70 Business
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
I 70 Business
Exit 229B
Toward I 70 Business: Fifth Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork
231 ft
·
5 sec
Toward I 70 Business: Fifth Street North, Bass Pro Drive, Ameristar Boulevard
Use the right lane.
12
Turn slight right onto I 70 Business
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
South Fifth Street
Use the right lane.
13
Turn right onto Jefferson Street
0.2 mi
·
44 sec
·
Jefferson Street
14
Turn left onto North Second Street
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
North Second Street
15
Arrive at destination
North Second Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 3.6 and 16.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
3.6 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
I 270
Merge onto I 270
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
8
12.2 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Take the exit toward I 70: Kansas City, Saint Louis, Saint Louis Lambert International Airport
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 20A
Toward I 70: Kansas City, Saint Louis, Saint Lo...
7
13.2 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 70 West: Kansas City
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 70 West: Kansas City
7
16.7 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
I 70 Business
Take the exit onto I 70 Business toward I 70 Business: Fifth Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 229B
Toward I 70 Business: Fifth Street
9
16.9 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 70 Business: Fifth Street North, Bass Pro Drive, Ameristar Boulevard
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Toward I 70 Business: Fifth Street North, Bass...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.86 one way
$5.72 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $3.14 | $6.28 |
| premium | $4.89 | $3.52 | $7.04 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.04 | $8.08 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.5 | 0 | $1.92 | $0.88 |
| Efficient EV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.60 | $0.73 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.56 | $1.17 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Saint Charles, MO
Late night in Saint Charles on Tuesday
Local time
3:54 AM
CDT
Current temp
72°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
27m 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 on this route, with a 0% highway share. The journey will feel more like navigating through towns and local streets rather than a long stretch of open road. While there isn't a 'longest stretch' specified, the profile indicates frequent turns and changes in direction, keeping you engaged behind the wheel. You'll be transitioning between local roads like North Geyer Road and Manchester Road, with a brief segment on I-270 North, so be prepared for a dynamic driving experience that requires constant attention.
63% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.6 mi on I 270.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 270 and I 70. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.6 miles in near I 270.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 18.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 27m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.6 miles (I 270): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Kirkwood, MO and Saint Charles, MO, road signs point toward Saint Louis and Saint Louis Lambert International Airport.
Saint Louis
12.2 mi in
|
~17m
Saint Louis Lambert International Airport
12.2 mi in
|
~17m
About the Cities
Starting in Kirkwood, MO
Full guide →St. Louis County is an area in the St. Louis Area of Missouri. Its current boundaries were set in 1877, when St. Louis City split off to become an independent city separate from any county. It is the most populated part of the St. Louis area, though it has fewer sites of interest than the City. It mostly consists of suburban residential areas.
Arriving in Saint Charles, MO
Full guide →St. Charles, Missouri is outside of St. Louis on the bank of the Missouri River. It was Missouri's first state capital and was one of the first stops by Lewis and Clark on their journey to explore Louisiana Territory. The historic Main Street has largely been restored to its 1812-era appearance including gas lights a boardwalk and is lined with shops selling artwork, handicrafts, home decorations, antiques. There are also many restaurants.
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 27m. Total distance: 18.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (63%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.6 miles on I 270. 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 Saint Charles, 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 3.6 miles (I 270): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Saint Charles, 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 Saint Charles, MO
More trips to Saint Charles, MO
Explore more options from Kirkwood, MO or browse trips ending in Saint Charles, MO.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MO road trips.