This 126.6-mile drive from St. Louis, MO to Chaffee, MO is a manageable one-day trip, taking approximately 2 hours and 25 minutes. Primarily utilizing I-55 for 93% of the journey, this route offers a straightforward and efficient passage through the Midwest. With an estimated fuel cost of $20, it's an economical option for a quick getaway. You’ll find the drive to be mostly highway, making it ideal for those who prefer consistent speed and minimal detours. There are no specific stops recommended, suggesting you can push through if time is a factor, or pull over as needed.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
63.3 miles from St. Louis, MO
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 11m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 55
115.4 mi
2h 6m
Nash Road
5.6 mi
7m
MO 77
2.9 mi
5m
South Tucker Boulevard
1.3 mi
3m
West Yoakum Avenue
0.8 mi
1m
Gravois Avenue
0.3 mi
<1m
Market Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
North Main Street
<0.1 mi
—
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
I 55
— 115.4 mi, about 2h 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between St. Louis, MO and Chaffee, MO.
1
Start on Market Street
86 ft·4 sec·Market Street
2
Turn left onto South Tucker Boulevard
1.3 mi·3 min·South Tucker Boulevard
Use the left lane.
3
Turn straight onto Gravois Avenue
0.3 mi·46 sec·Gravois Avenue
4
Take the ramp
0.1 mi·15 sec
Toward I 55 South: MemphisUse the left lane.
5
Merge onto I 55
115 mi·2 hr 6 min·I 55
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi·20 sec
Exit 91Toward MO AB: Cape Girardeau Regional Airport
7
Keep slight right at fork
160 ft·3 sec
Exit 91Toward MO AB: Cape Girardeau Regional Airport
8
Turn right onto MO AB
5.6 mi·7 min·Nash Road
9
Enter roundabout onto MO 77
325 ft·6 sec·MO 77
Toward MO 77 South: Chaffee
10
Continue on MO 77
2.8 mi·4 min·MO 77
Toward MO 77 South: Chaffee
11
Turn left onto MO A
0.4 mi·48 sec·West Yoakum Avenue
12
Enter roundabout onto MO A
406 ft·9 sec·West Yoakum Avenue
13
Continue on MO A
0.2 mi·29 sec·West Yoakum Avenue
14
Turn left onto MO M
34 ft·0 sec·North Main Street
15
Arrive at destination
MO M
Trip Plan
Given its short duration of under 2.5 hours, this drive is perfectly suited for a single day trip, offering flexibility in your departure time. You can leave St. Louis at your leisure and still reach Chaffee with plenty of daylight. With a fuel cost estimated at $20, it's wise to fill up before leaving St. Louis to ensure you have enough gas for the entire 126.6-mile journey, especially as there are no designated stops. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge as you approach Chaffee, as the longest stretch on I-55 means you’ll be covering a good distance before reaching your destination.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 63.3 miles from St. Louis, MO, or about 1h 11m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 115.4 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 28 miles or 33m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 63.3 miles or 1h 11m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 56m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Chaffee, MO than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving St. Louis, 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 St. Louis, MO
This is one driving day of about 126.6 miles and 2h 25m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 28 miles from St. Louis, MO.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on I 55 for about 115.4 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 1.7 and 123 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
1.7 mi into trip|~4m in
Take the ramp toward I 55 South: Memphis
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 55 South: Memphis
5
1.8 mi into trip|~4m in|I 55
Merge onto I 55
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
117.2 mi into trip|~2h 10m in
Take the exit toward MO AB: Cape Girardeau Regional Airport
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 91
Toward MO AB: Cape Girardeau Regional Airport
7
117.4 mi into trip|~2h 11m in
Keep slight right at fork toward MO AB: Cape Girardeau Regional Airport
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Exit 91
Toward MO AB: Cape Girardeau Regional Airport
5
123 mi into trip|~2h 18m in|MO 77
Enter roundabout onto MO 77 toward MO 77 South: Chaffee
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Toward MO 77 South: Chaffee
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$19.79 one way
$39.58 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg44 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$21.73
$43.46
premium
$4.89
$24.36
$48.73
diesel
$5.61
$27.95
$55.90
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$20
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$45–$70
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 44.3 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $13 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
38
0
$13.29
$6.08
Efficient EV
31.7
0
$11.08
$5.06
EV Truck/SUV
50.6
0
$17.72
$8.10
Gas CO2
44 kg
EV CO2
15 kg (66% 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 15, 2026
Origin
St. Louis, MO
Night
in St. Louis on Saturday
Local time
11:15 PM
CDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Chaffee, MO
Night
in Chaffee on Saturday
Local time
11:15 PM
CDT
Current temp
53°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
57°F
Imperial, MO
63 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
21 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
2h 25m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Gateway Arch National Park
National Park
Gateway Arch National Park commemorates President Jefferson’s vision of a continental nation, the individuals and cultural groups who helped shape its history, St. Louis’ role in westward expansion, a...
Established by 1750, Ste. Geneviève was the first permanent European settlement in Missouri. Early French Canadian settlers were drawn here by the rich agricultural land known as Le Grand Champ (the B...
5 mi from route
~12 min detour
Free
near mile 61.1
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a largely highway-focused experience on this route, with an impressive 93% of the drive occurring on major roadways. The majority of your travel will be on I-55, including a significant uninterrupted stretch of 115.4 miles. This means you'll likely encounter consistent speeds and a predictable road surface for most of the journey. While the route is primarily interstate, remember that Nash Road and MO 77 will introduce brief segments of non-interstate driving before you rejoin the main highway.
93% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 115.4 mi on I 55.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 55 and Nash Road. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 1.7 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 2h 25m 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 1.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.8 miles (I 55): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 117.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from St. Louis, MO to Chaffee, MO, road signs begin pointing toward Mo Ab: Cape Girardeau Regional Airport along the way.
The Gateway City of St. Louis is the epitome of the modern Midwestern metropolis. Missouri's second-largest city is vibrant but laid-back, populous but navigable, historic but still relevant. The city's planners have created an aesthetically beautiful city, with plenty of green space amidst buildings both old and new, framed by the majestic Mississippi and Missouri rivers. And capping it all is the world's tallest man-made monument, the beautiful and iconic Gateway Arch.
St. Louis is a city of culture and surprisingly inexpensive. Among American cities, only Washington, D.C. has more free attractions for tourists and residents alike. Hotels, restaurants, and even parking garages avoid the premium pricing common in other big cities. Although often overlooked, St. Louis can be an affordable, educational, and fun family getaway.
The longest stretch is about 115.4 miles on I 55. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 1.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.8 miles (I 55): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 117.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Yes — Gateway Arch National Park and Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Chaffee, MO before heading back.
