Lee's Summit, MO to Saint Paul, MO is 214.7 miles and takes about 4h 10m via Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, with a fuel budget near $34 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Missouri, traversing the Midwest region. You'll mostly navigate surface roads, making it a straightforward drive. With only one recommended stop and a drive under five hours, it's an accessible option for a single day of travel.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
107.3 miles from Lee's Summit, MO
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 59m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
136.9 mi
2h 36m
U.S. Submarine Veterans' Memorial Highway
54.4 mi
58m
I 470
7 mi
8m
Josephville Road
2.9 mi
6m
MO P
2.9 mi
4m
Southeast Douglas Street
2.2 mi
4m
Sheriff Roger I. Wilson Memorial Highway
1.9 mi
2m
Highway Patrol Sgt. Benjamin Booth Memorial Highway
1.6 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 136.9 mi, about 2h 36m
Traffic on I-70
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 17 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~2,952 veh/hr typical
· worst 3,444
Quietest
1 AM
~261 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
11.3×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
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Averaged across 52 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lee's Summit, MO and Saint Paul, MO.
1
Start on Southwest 3rd Street
0.3 mi·40 sec·Southwest 3rd Street
2
Continue on Southeast 3rd Street
358 ft·16 sec·Southeast 3rd Street
3
Turn left onto Southeast Douglas Street
2.2 mi·4 min·Southeast Douglas Street
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·28 sec
Toward I 470 North: Independence, Saint Louis
5
Merge onto I 470
7.0 mi·8 min·I 470
Toward I 470 North: Saint Louis
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi·44 sec
Exit 16BToward I 70 East: Saint LouisUse the slight right lane.
32 mi·34 min·U.S. Submarine Veterans' Memorial Highway
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 70
22 mi·24 min·U.S. Submarine Veterans' Memorial Highway
11
Continue on I 70; US 40
1.8 mi·2 min·Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
12
Continue on I 70; US 40
1.6 mi·1 min·Highway Patrol Sgt. Benjamin Booth Memorial Highway
13
Continue on I 70; US 40
1.9 mi·2 min·Sheriff Roger I. Wilson Memorial Highway
14
Continue on I 70; US 40
83 mi·1 hr 37 min·Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi·30 sec
Exit 212Toward MO AUse the slight right lane.
16
At end of road, turn left onto MO A
1.1 mi·1 min·Highway A
Use the left lane.
17
Turn right onto Josephville Road
2.9 mi·6 min·Josephville Road
18
Turn right onto MO P
2.9 mi·4 min·MO P
19
Turn left onto Saint Paul Road
1.4 mi·3 min·Saint Paul Road
20
Turn right onto Hackmann Road
351 ft·11 sec·Hackmann Road
21
Arrive at destination
Hackmann Road
Trip Plan
Given the 4h 10m estimated drive time and 214.7 miles, leaving in the morning allows ample time to reach Saint Paul without feeling rushed. The single recommended stop is a good point to stretch your legs and refuel if needed, though with a $34 fuel estimate, you likely won't need to fill up multiple times. Since this is a one-day trip, you have flexibility; consider departing slightly later if traffic is a concern during peak hours. Pay attention to the transition from highway to surface roads, as this is where the driving pace will change most noticeably.
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 107.3 miles from Lee's Summit, MO, or about 1h 59m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 136.9 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 47 miles or 54m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 107.3 miles or 1h 59m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 19m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Saint Paul, MO than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Lee's Summit, 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 Lee's Summit, MO
This is one driving day of about 214.7 miles and 4h 10m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 47 miles from Lee's Summit, 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 136.9 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 11
5 decision points cluster between mile 2.6 and 206.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
2.6 mi into trip|~5m in
Take the ramp toward I 470 North: Independence, Saint Louis
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 470 North: Independence, Saint Louis
4
2.8 mi into trip|~5m in|I 470
Merge onto I 470 toward I 470 North: Saint Louis
Merge point - match speed before joining
Toward I 470 North: Saint Louis
7
9.8 mi into trip|~14m in
Take the exit toward I 70 East: Saint Louis
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 16B
Toward I 70 East: Saint Louis
7
206.1 mi into trip|~3h 54m in
Take the exit toward MO A
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 212
Toward MO A
6
206.4 mi into trip|~3h 55m in|MO A / Highway A
At end of road, turn left onto MO A / Highway A
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$35.70 one way
$71.39 round trip
$4.22/gal25.4 MPG avg75 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.60
$38.88
$77.77
premium
$5.18
$43.81
$87.62
diesel
$5.35
$45.22
$90.44
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$36
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$61–$86
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 75.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $23 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
64.4
0
$22.54
$10.31
Efficient EV
53.7
0
$18.79
$8.59
EV Truck/SUV
85.9
1
$30.06
$13.74
Gas CO2
75 kg
EV CO2
25 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 May 22, 2026
Origin
Lee's Summit, MO
Afternoon
in Lee's Summit on Wednesday
Local time
4:28 PM
CDT
Current temp
70°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
ESE 6 mph63% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued May 22 at 10:43AM CDT until May 24 at 5:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued May 22 at 10:43AM CDT until May 25 at 11:30AM CDT by NWS St Louis MO
Destination
Saint Paul, MO
Afternoon
in Saint Paul on Wednesday
Local time
4:28 PM
CDT
Current temp
69°F
Scattered Rain Showers
E 6 mph26% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued May 22 at 10:43AM CDT until May 24 at 5:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued May 22 at 10:43AM CDT until May 25 at 11:30AM CDT by NWS St Louis MO
69°F
Pierpont, MO
107 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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
4h 10m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route is predominantly on surface roads, with highways making up about 30% of the total distance. The longest continuous stretch on a highway is 136.9 miles on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. You'll experience a mix of highway cruising and surface road driving, with a transition away from highway travel at some point along the way. Expect a generally steady pace, with fewer complex merges than a heavily highway-based trip.
Only 3% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 136.9 mi on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 2.6 miles in.
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 214.7 miles you will encounter 11 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: at 2.6 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.8 miles (I 470): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 9.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Lee's Summit is a city in Missouri. It is the hometown of famous outlaw Cole Younger of the James-Younger Gang, and of Grammy Award-winning musician Pat Metheny.
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 10m. Total distance: 214.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 10m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (3%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 136.9 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 29 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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: at 2.6 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.8 miles (I 470): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 9.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Possible but tiring. At 4.2 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 8.4 hours — manageable with a long break at Saint Paul, MO, but most travelers stay overnight.
