Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from Lawson, MO to Kansas City, MO

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

Drive Time

48m

Distance

35.2 mi

57 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 44m ★
6 AM
0h 49m
8 AM
0h 57m
10 AM
0h 51m
12 PM
0h 51m
3 PM
0h 52m
5 PM
0h 56m
8 PM
0h 46m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
Downtown Lawson, MO, MO

Lawson, MO

Huu Huynh

city in Missouri, United States, that is one of two county seats of Jackson County and the largest city in Missouri

Kansas City, MO

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are looking to travel from Lawson to Kansas City, you are in for a quick, straightforward 37.7-mile journey. This trip typically takes about 40 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day excursion. Because the route stays entirely within the Midwest, you won't experience any significant regional shifts during your drive. With a fuel budget of approximately $6, it is an incredibly affordable way to transition from the quiet of Lawson into the heart of the city. You won't need to worry about booking an overnight stay, as the distance is short enough to handle in one go.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
US 69 32.2 mi 41m
Salem Road 0.8 mi 1m
Northeast 184th Street 0.8 mi 1m
West Moss Street 0.4 mi <1m
US 71 0.3 mi <1m
North Pennsylvania Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
East 11th Street 0.3 mi <1m
Oak Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: US 69 — 32.2 mi, about 41m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Lawson, MO and Kansas City, MO.

1

Start on East 4th Street

46 ft · 7 sec · East 4th Street
2

Turn left onto North Pennsylvania Avenue

0.3 mi · 42 sec · North Pennsylvania Avenue
3

Turn right onto West Moss Street

0.4 mi · 55 sec · West Moss Street
4

Turn left onto Salem Road

0.8 mi · 1 min · Salem Road
5

Turn right onto Northeast 184th Street

0.8 mi · 1 min · Northeast 184th Street
6

Turn left onto US 69

32 mi · 41 min · US 69
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
7

Keep slight left at fork onto US 71

0.3 mi · 33 sec · US 71
Exit 3 Toward I 70 East, US 40 East, US 71 South: Saint Louis, Joplin
8

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 20 sec
Exit 2J Toward Downtown Use the slight right lane.
9

Turn slight right onto East 11th Street

0.3 mi · 51 sec · East 11th Street
10

Turn left onto Oak Street

461 ft · 15 sec · Oak Street
11

Arrive at destination

Oak Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Liberty, MO, MO

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Liberty, MO

18 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

North Kansas City, MO

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 35 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Liberty, MO

Meal break

The midpoint is around 17.6 miles from Lawson, MO, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 7

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 35.1 — 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 | North Pennsylvania Avenue

Turn left onto North Pennsylvania Avenue

Navigation decision point

6
2.2 mi into trip | ~4m in | US 69

Turn left onto US 69

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left / right lanes.
7
34.4 mi into trip | ~46m in | US 71

Keep slight left at fork onto US 71 toward I 70 East, US 40 East, US 71 South: Saint Louis, Joplin

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Exit 3 Toward I 70 East, US 40 East, US 71 South: Sain...
7
34.7 mi into trip | ~47m in

Take the exit toward Downtown

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 2J Toward Downtown
5
35.1 mi into trip | ~48m in | Oak Street

Turn left onto Oak Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.50 one way

$11.01 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $6.04 $12.08
premium $4.89 $6.77 $13.55
diesel $5.61 $7.77 $15.54

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 12.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 10.6 0 $3.70 $1.69
Efficient EV 8.8 0 $3.08 $1.41
EV Truck/SUV 14.1 0 $4.93 $2.25

Gas CO2

12 kg

EV CO2

4 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 12, 2026

Origin

Lawson, MO

Morning in Lawson on Sunday

Local time

9:19 AM

CDT

Current temp

61°F

Mostly Cloudy

S 14 mph 13% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 12 at 12:21AM CDT by NWS Paducah KY

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 11 at 9:46PM CDT until April 18 at 1:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO

Destination

Kansas City, MO

Morning in Kansas City on Sunday

Local time

9:19 AM

CDT

Current temp

64°F

Mostly Cloudy

S 14 mph 14% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 12 at 12:21AM CDT by NWS Paducah KY

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 11 at 9:46PM CDT until April 18 at 1:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO

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

3 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

48m 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 high-speed interstate sprint, as this route features zero highway miles. You will navigate via North Pennsylvania Avenue, West Moss Street, and Salem Road to reach your destination. Since the entire drive is composed of local roads, you should prepare for constant maneuvering rather than long, monotonous stretches of cruising. The character of the road is defined by its intimacy with the local landscape, requiring your full attention behind the wheel throughout the entire 40-minute duration. It is a practical, functional connector that favors local navigation over rapid transit.

92% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 32.2 mi on US 69.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 69 and Salem Road. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near North Pennsylvania Avenue.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 48m drive. You will face about 7 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 (North Pennsylvania Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.2 miles (US 69): Lane positioning matters here; at 34.4 miles (US 71): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,067 ft 771 ft

Total Climb

47 ft

Total Descent

296 ft

Highest Point

1,067 ft

Elevation Range

296 ft

About the Cities

Arriving in Kansas City, MO

Full guide →

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.

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 48m. Total distance: 35.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

48m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (92%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 32.2 miles on US 69. 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 (North Pennsylvania Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.2 miles (US 69): Lane positioning matters here; at 34.4 miles (US 71): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Kansas City, 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.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Continue From Kansas City, MO

Caruthersville, MO 428.9 mi · 8h 4m Kennett, MO 404.3 mi · 8h 13m East Prairie, MO 397.4 mi · 7h 29m Malden, MO 388.6 mi · 7h 53m

More from Lawson, MO

St. Louis, MO 250.8 mi · 5h 3m

More trips to Kansas City, MO

Lilbourn, MO 402.3 mi Poplar Bluff, MO 356.1 mi Flat River, MO 299.2 mi Ironton, MO 295.7 mi Bonne Terre, MO 293.3 mi West Plains, MO 275.8 mi
Escape planner: Lawson, MO Scenic drives in MO

Explore more options from Lawson, MO or browse trips ending in Kansas City, MO.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MO road trips.