Origin
University City, MO
Afternoon in University City on Sunday
Local time
4:57 PM
CDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from University City, MO to St. Louis, MO
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
13m
Distance
8.3 mi
13 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 13m
★
6 AM
0h 14m
8 AM
0h 16m
10 AM
0h 15m
12 PM
0h 14m
3 PM
0h 15m
5 PM
0h 16m
8 PM
0h 13m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
University City, MO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Navigating from University City to St. Louis is a quick, 8.4-mile commute that typically takes about 15 minutes. Because both locations are situated within the Midwest, you will experience a familiar, urban-focused transition throughout the entire journey. This route is perfectly suited for a single-day trip, requiring no overnight stays or complex planning. You can expect to spend roughly $1 on fuel for this short excursion. It is a straightforward, practical connection that functions more like a local errand than a traditional road trip.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Jack Buck Memorial Highway | 5 mi | 6m |
| North Skinker Boulevard | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Delmar Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| South 14th Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Market Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Kingsland Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Jack Buck Memorial Highway
— 5 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between University City, MO and St. Louis, MO.
1
Start on Kingsland Avenue
173 ft
·
14 sec
·
Kingsland Avenue
2
Continue on Kingsland Avenue
98 ft
·
8 sec
·
Kingsland Avenue
3
Turn right onto Delmar Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Delmar Boulevard
4
Turn right onto North Skinker Boulevard
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
North Skinker Boulevard
Use the right lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
57 sec
Toward I 64 East, US 40 East
Use the left lane.
6
Merge onto I 64; US 40
5.0 mi
·
6 min
·
Jack Buck Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 39A
Toward 14th Street
Use the slight right lane.
8
Turn left onto South 14th Street
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
South 14th Street
Use the left lane.
9
Turn right onto Market Street
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
Market Street
10
Arrive at destination
Market Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 7.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
North Skinker Boulevard
Turn right onto North Skinker Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
2.1 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the ramp toward I 64 East, US 40 East
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward I 64 East, US 40 East
5
2.5 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 64; US 40 / Jack Buck Memorial Highway
Merge onto I 64; US 40 / Jack Buck Memorial Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
7.6 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward 14th Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 39A
Toward 14th Street
5
7.8 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
South 14th Street
Turn left onto South 14th Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.30 one way
$2.60 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $1.42 | $2.85 |
| premium | $4.89 | $1.60 | $3.19 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.83 | $3.67 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.5 | 0 | $0.87 | $0.40 |
| Efficient EV | 2.1 | 0 | $0.73 | $0.33 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.3 | 0 | $1.16 | $0.53 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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.
Destination
St. Louis, MO
Afternoon in St. Louis on Sunday
Local time
4:57 PM
CDT
Current temp
74°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
16 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
13m 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 rather than a high-speed highway experience, as this route features zero highway miles. Your path primarily utilizes Kingsland Avenue, Delmar Boulevard, and North Skinker Boulevard to navigate the urban landscape. Because the trip is entirely local, there are no long, uninterrupted stretches to settle into. Instead, you will need to stay alert and ready for frequent turns as you transition between these specific city streets. The personality of this drive is functional and grounded, prioritizing neighborhood connectivity over open-road cruising.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5 mi on Jack Buck Memorial 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 0.5 miles in near North Skinker Boulevard.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 13m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (North Skinker Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.5 miles (I 64; US 40 / Jack Buck Memorial Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in University City, MO
Full guide →St. Louis County is an area in the St. Louis Area of Missouri. Its current boundaries were set in 1877, when St. Louis City split off to become an independent city separate from any county. It is the most populated part of the St. Louis area, though it has fewer sites of interest than the City. It mostly consists of suburban residential areas.
Arriving in St. Louis, MO
Full guide →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.
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 13m. Total distance: 8.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
13m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5 miles on Jack Buck Memorial Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 0.5 miles (North Skinker Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.5 miles (I 64; US 40 / Jack Buck Memorial Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Gateway Arch National 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 St. Louis, 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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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