Origin
North Kansas City, MO
Late night in North Kansas City on Sunday
Local time
2:36 AM
CDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from North Kansas City, MO to Independence, MO
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
24m
Distance
12.3 mi
20 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 22m
★
6 AM
0h 25m
8 AM
0h 29m
10 AM
0h 26m
12 PM
0h 26m
3 PM
0h 26m
5 PM
0h 29m
8 PM
0h 23m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
North Kansas City, MO
Edgar Colomba
Independence, MO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short, 12.3-mile drive from North Kansas City, MO, to Independence, MO, is easily manageable in about 24 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. With a low estimated fuel cost of just $2, it's an economical excursion. The route primarily utilizes local roads like East Truman Road and East Front Street, with a portion on Lamar Hunt Memorial Highway, indicating a more connected, community-level journey rather than an open highway experience. Given its brevity and minimal stops, this drive is ideal for a quick outing within the Midwest region, allowing for flexibility in your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| East Truman Road | 4 mi | 8m |
| East Front Street | 3.7 mi | 7m |
| Lamar Hunt Memorial Highway | 2.2 mi | 2m |
| I 29 | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Bedford Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Ozark Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East 12th Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
East Truman Road
— 4 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between North Kansas City, MO and Independence, MO.
1
Start on this road
194 ft
·
10 sec
·
this road
2
Continue on East 12th Avenue
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
East 12th Avenue
3
Turn right onto Ozark Street
0.2 mi
·
56 sec
·
Ozark Street
4
Turn left onto Bedford Road
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
Bedford Road
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
6
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Toward I 29 South, I 35 South, US 71 South
Use the slight left lane.
7
Merge onto I 29; I 35; US 71
0.4 mi
·
31 sec
·
I 29; I 35; US 71
8
Take the exit
503 ft
·
9 sec
Exit 4B
Toward Front Street, Berkley Parkway
Use the slight right lane.
9
Keep slight left at fork
321 ft
·
8 sec
Toward East Front Street
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on East Front Street
3.7 mi
·
7 min
·
East Front Street
Use the slight left lane.
11
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward I 435 South: Grandview
12
Merge onto I 435
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Lamar Hunt Memorial Highway
13
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Exit 60
Toward MO 12 East: 12th Street, Truman Road
Use the slight right lane.
14
Turn left onto MO 12
4.0 mi
·
8 min
·
East Truman Road
15
Turn right onto North Main Street
0.2 mi
·
49 sec
·
North Main Street
16
Turn left onto East Kansas Avenue
63 ft
·
2 sec
·
East Kansas Avenue
17
Arrive at destination
East Kansas Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 7.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Ozark Street
Turn right onto Ozark Street
Navigation decision point
9
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 29 South, I 35 South, US 71 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 29 South, I 35 South, US 71 South
8
1.3 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the exit toward Front Street, Berkley Parkway
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 4B
Toward Front Street, Berkley Parkway
8
1.4 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Keep slight left at fork toward East Front Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward East Front Street
8
7.7 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward MO 12 East: 12th Street, Truman Road
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 60
Toward MO 12 East: 12th Street, Truman Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.92 one way
$3.85 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $2.11 | $4.22 |
| premium | $4.89 | $2.37 | $4.73 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.72 | $5.43 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.7 | 0 | $1.29 | $0.59 |
| Efficient EV | 3.1 | 0 | $1.08 | $0.49 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.72 | $0.79 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Independence, MO
Late night in Independence on Sunday
Local time
2:36 AM
CDT
Current temp
73°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
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
24m 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 only about a third of the journey on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 4 miles along East Truman Road. This suggests a driving experience characterized by frequent turns and navigating through more developed areas, rather than expansive, open stretches. The road will likely feel more like traversing city streets and connecting local thoroughfares, requiring your attention for navigation throughout the 24-minute trip.
Only 3% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4 mi on East Truman Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near Ozark Street.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 12.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 24m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Ozark Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 24m. Total distance: 12.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 4 miles on East Truman Road. 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 Independence, 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 0.2 miles (Ozark Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Independence, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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