Origin
Northwoods, MO
Night in Northwoods on Friday
Local time
9:49 PM
CDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Northwoods, MO to Saint Charles, MO
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
22m
Distance
14.4 mi
23 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 20m
★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 23m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 26m
8 PM
0h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Northwoods, MO
Lena Khrupina
Saint Charles, MO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Northwoods, MO to Saint Charles, MO is 14.4 miles and takes about 22m via Roland Boulevard, Lucas-Hunt Road, and I 70, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within the Midwest region, specifically within Missouri. It's a straightforward trip, primarily on surface roads, making it easy to navigate. You'll find it's a practical option for a quick connection between these two points, with minimal time commitment and cost.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 70 | 12 mi | 15m |
| South Fifth Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| Roland Boulevard | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| Lucas-Hunt Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Jefferson Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Second Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| I 70 Business | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Nelson Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 70
— 12 mi, about 15m
Traffic on I-70
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 34 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~6,486 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~540 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
12×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 105 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 Northwoods, MO and Saint Charles, MO.
1
Start on Nelson Drive
420 ft
·
24 sec
·
Nelson Drive
2
Turn left onto Roland Boulevard
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Roland Boulevard
3
Turn right onto MO U
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
Lucas-Hunt Road
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
13 sec
5
Merge onto I 70
12 mi
·
15 min
·
I 70
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
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.
7
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.
8
Turn slight right onto I 70 Business
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
South Fifth Street
Use the right lane.
9
Turn right onto Jefferson Street
0.2 mi
·
44 sec
·
Jefferson Street
10
Turn left onto North Second Street
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
North Second Street
11
Arrive at destination
North Second Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 14.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Roland Boulevard
Turn left onto Roland Boulevard
Navigation decision point
5
0.9 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 70
Merge onto I 70
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
12.8 mi into trip
|
~17m 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
13 mi into trip
|
~18m 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...
5
14.2 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
North Second Street
Turn left onto North Second Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.23 one way
$4.47 round trip
$3.94/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $2.45 | $4.90 |
| premium | $4.93 | $2.79 | $5.59 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $3.17 | $6.35 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.51 | $0.69 |
| Efficient EV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.26 | $0.58 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.02 | $0.92 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Saint Charles, MO
Night in Saint Charles on Friday
Local time
9:49 PM
CDT
Current temp
70°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
22m 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 covers 14.4 miles with a 0% highway share, meaning you'll be on surface roads for the entire trip. Expect to navigate through areas with frequent intersections and local traffic, as indicated by the reliance on Roland Boulevard and Lucas-Hunt Road before merging onto I 70 for a brief period. The majority of your time will be spent on these surface roads, so be prepared for typical urban or suburban driving conditions.
84% 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: 12 mi on I 70.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 70 and South Fifth Street. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Roland Boulevard.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 14.4 miles you will encounter 9 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 0.1 miles (Roland Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles (I 70): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.8 miles (I 70 Business): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Northwoods, MO
Full guide →Arriving in Saint Charles, MO
Full guide →Founded 1765
St. Charles, Missouri is outside of St. Louis on the bank of the Missouri River. It was Missouri's first state capital and was one of the first stops by Lewis and Clark on their journey to explore Louisiana Territory. The historic Main Street has largely been restored to its 1812-era appearance including gas lights a boardwalk and is lined with shops selling artwork, handicrafts, home decorations, antiques. There are also many restaurants.
Top landmarks
- • First Missouri State Capitol State Historic Site — historic site in Missouri, United States
- • African Church — church building in Missouri, United States of America
- • Frenchtown Historic District — historic district in St. Charles County, 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 22m. Total distance: 14.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (84%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12 miles on I 70. 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 0.1 miles (Roland Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles (I 70): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.8 miles (I 70 Business): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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 FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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