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Trip from Lakeshire, MO to Saint Charles, MO

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

Drive Time

36m

Distance

25.7 mi

41 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 33m ★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 43m
10 AM
0h 39m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 35m

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

Downtown Lakeshire, MO, MO

Lakeshire, MO

Valeria Boltneva

city in and county seat of St. Charles County, Missouri, United States

Saint Charles, MO

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Lakeshire, MO to Saint Charles, MO is 25.7 miles and takes about 36m via I 270 and I 70, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays entirely within Missouri, connecting two points in the Midwest region. It's a quick hop that's ideal for a day trip, moving from one area to another without requiring an overnight stay. You'll be on major highways for most of the journey, so expect a straightforward drive.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 270 16.6 mi 20m
I 70 2.7 mi 3m
Tesson Ferry Road 2.6 mi 5m
South Fifth Street 1 mi 2m
Jefferson Street 0.2 mi <1m
North Second Street 0.2 mi <1m
I 70 Business 0.2 mi <1m
Elise Drive <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 270 — 16.6 mi, about 20m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Lakeshire, MO and Saint Charles, MO.

1

Start on Elise Drive

49 ft · 5 sec · Elise Drive
2

Turn right onto MO 21

2.6 mi · 5 min · Tesson Ferry Road
3

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 20 sec
Toward I 270 North
4

Merge onto I 270

17 mi · 20 min · I 270
Use the straight lane.
5

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.
6

Keep slight left at fork

0.1 mi · 11 sec
Toward I 70 West: Kansas City Use the slight left lane.
7

Continue on this road

0.6 mi · 57 sec · this road
Exit 20B Toward I 70 West: Kansas City
8

Merge onto I 70

2.7 mi · 3 min · I 70
9

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.
10

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.
11

Turn slight right onto I 70 Business

1.0 mi · 2 min · South Fifth Street
Use the right lane.
12

Turn right onto Jefferson Street

0.2 mi · 44 sec · Jefferson Street
13

Turn left onto North Second Street

0.2 mi · 34 sec · North Second Street
14

Arrive at destination

North Second Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 2.9 and 24.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
2.9 mi into trip | ~5m in | I 270

Merge onto I 270

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
8
19.6 mi into trip | ~26m 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
20.6 mi into trip | ~27m 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
24.1 mi into trip | ~32m 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
24.2 mi into trip | ~32m 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

$4.02 one way

$8.04 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 9 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $4.41 $8.82
premium $4.89 $4.95 $9.89
diesel $5.61 $5.67 $11.35

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 7.7 0 $2.70 $1.23
Efficient EV 6.4 0 $2.25 $1.03
EV Truck/SUV 10.3 0 $3.60 $1.64

Gas CO2

9 kg

EV CO2

3 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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Lakeshire, MO

Late night in Lakeshire on Sunday

Local time

1:04 AM

CDT

Current temp

57°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Saint Charles, MO

Late night in Saint Charles on Sunday

Local time

1:04 AM

CDT

Current temp

57°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

36m 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?

This drive is heavily focused on the highway, with 76% of the route utilizing major interstates. You'll experience a highway-focused drive for the majority of your time on the road. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 16.6 miles on I 270, offering a chance to settle into a steady pace. Expect a consistent driving experience with minimal transitions between road types.

76% 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: 16.6 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 2.9 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 11 decision points packed into just 25.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 2.9 miles (I 270): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 19.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 20.6 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.

Between Lakeshire, MO and Saint Charles, MO, road signs point toward Saint Louis and Saint Louis Lambert International Airport.

Saint Louis

19.6 mi in | ~26m

Saint Louis Lambert International Airport

19.6 mi in | ~26m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 36m. Total distance: 25.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

36m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (76%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 16.6 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 2.9 miles (I 270): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 19.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 20.6 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.

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