Lee's Summit to Wentzville is 204.4 miles and takes about 3h 54m via Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway and I-470, with a fuel budget near $31 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This route stays within Missouri, connecting two points in the Midwest region. Given its mostly surface road profile and single-day recommendation, expect a drive with frequent turns and varying speed limits rather than continuous highway cruising. It's a straightforward trip for those looking to cover ground efficiently without extensive time commitment.
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
102.2 miles from Lee's Summit, MO
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 53m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
134.4 mi
2h 32m
U.S. Submarine Veterans' Memorial Highway
54.4 mi
58m
I 470
7 mi
8m
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
Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway
1.1 mi
1m
South Church Street
0.3 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 134.4 mi, about 2h 32m
Traffic on I-70
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 11 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~2,880 veh/hr typical
· worst 3,333
Quietest
1 AM
~259 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
11.1×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
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 Wentzville, 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
80 mi·1 hr 34 min·Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi·27 sec
Exit 209Toward MO Z
16
Turn left onto MO Z
424 ft·10 sec·South Church Street
17
Enter roundabout onto South Church Street
84 ft·3 sec·South Church Street
18
Continue on South Church Street
0.2 mi·39 sec·South Church Street
19
Turn right onto West 4th Street
442 ft·20 sec·West 4th Street
20
At end of road, turn left onto South Linn Avenue
0.1 mi·26 sec·South Linn Avenue
21
Turn right onto East Allen Street
40 ft·1 sec·East Allen Street
22
Arrive at destination
East Allen Street
Trip Plan
With a drive time under 4 hours, this route is easily manageable as a same-day trip. Consider departing mid-morning to avoid peak rush hour traffic in the Kansas City and St. Louis areas. Given the significant portion of the drive on surface roads, be prepared for more frequent stops and potential traffic lights, which can extend your actual travel time beyond the estimated 3 hours and 54 minutes. Keep an eye on your fuel, especially during the 134.4-mile stretch on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, as service areas may be less frequent than on interstates. Budgeting around $31 for fuel should be sufficient.
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 102.2 miles from Lee's Summit, MO, or about 1h 53m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 134.4 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 45 miles or 52m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 102.2 miles or 1h 53m 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 9m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Wentzville, 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 204.4 miles and 3h 54m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 45 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 134.4 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 12
5 decision points cluster between mile 2.6 and 204.2 — 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
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
5
203.6 mi into trip|~3h 51m in
Take the exit toward MO Z
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 209
Toward MO Z
5
203.9 mi into trip|~3h 52m in|South Church Street
Enter roundabout onto South Church Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
6
204.2 mi into trip|~3h 53m in|South Linn Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto South Linn Avenue
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$30.19 one way
$60.37 round trip
$3.75/gal25.4 MPG avg72 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.14
$33.32
$66.65
premium
$4.72
$37.95
$75.90
diesel
$4.80
$38.59
$77.19
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$30
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$55–$80
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 71.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $21 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
61.3
0
$21.46
$9.81
Efficient EV
51.1
0
$17.89
$8.18
EV Truck/SUV
81.8
1
$28.62
$13.08
Gas CO2
72 kg
EV CO2
24 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 Jul 19, 2026
Origin
Lee's Summit, MO
Morning
in Lee's Summit on Sunday
Local time
6:10 AM
CDT
Current temp
73°F
Partly Cloudy
SSW 5 mph12% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 18 at 8:17PM CDT until July 21 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Paducah KY
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 18 at 7:55PM CDT until July 19 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS Memphis TN
Destination
Wentzville, MO
Morning
in Wentzville on Sunday
Local time
6:10 AM
CDT
Current temp
74°F
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
W 3 mph17% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 18 at 8:17PM CDT until July 21 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Paducah KY
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 18 at 7:55PM CDT until July 19 at 9:00PM CDT by NWS Memphis TN
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 54m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive involves 34% highway driving, with the longest continuous stretch on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway covering 134.4 miles. After the highway portion concludes, you'll transition to mostly surface roads for the remainder of your trip. Expect to navigate more frequent intersections and potentially slower traffic as you move off the main highway.
Only 3% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 134.4 mi on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 2.6 miles in.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 3h 54m drive. You will face about 12 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.6 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 203.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
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.
The longest stretch is about 134.4 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: at 2.6 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 203.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Possible but tiring. At 3.9 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 7.8 hours — manageable with a long break at Wentzville, MO, but most travelers stay overnight.
