Trip from Ballwin, MO to Saint Joseph, MO

Drive Time

4h 26m

Distance

290.8 mi

468 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$44

one way

Downtown Ballwin, MO, MO

Ballwin, MO

Valeria Boltneva

Downtown Saint Joseph, MO, MO

Saint Joseph, MO

Andrés Oliver Joya Zapata

Trip Overview

The drive from Ballwin, MO to Saint Joseph, MO covers 290.8 miles and takes about 4h 26m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Holloway Road, Baxter Road, Clarkson Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $44.17 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

145.4 miles from Ballwin, MO

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 13m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a 4h 26m drive with frequent turns across 290.8 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 33 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Holloway Road is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

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.

Route Complexity 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

This is a straightforward 4h 26m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Ballwin, MO to Saint Joseph, MO is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Holloway Road Unavailable Refreshing
Baxter Road Unavailable Refreshing
Clarkson Road Unavailable Refreshing
Olive Boulevard Unavailable Refreshing
North Outer 40 Unavailable Refreshing
I 64 West Unavailable Refreshing
Avenue of the Saints Unavailable Refreshing
I 70 West Unavailable Refreshing

Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.

Longest stretch: Holloway Road — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Ballwin, MO and Saint Joseph, MO.

1

Start on the route

220 ft · 21 sec · the route
2

Turn left

220 ft · 22 sec
3

At the end of the road, turn left onto Holloway Road

1.2 mi · 3 min · Holloway Road
4

Continue on Baxter Road

2.9 mi · 5 min · Baxter Road
5

Turn right onto Clarkson Road

1.0 mi · 1 min · Clarkson Road
6

Continue on Olive Boulevard

482 ft · 17 sec · Olive Boulevard
7

Turn left onto North Outer 40

0.4 mi · 58 sec · North Outer 40
8

Take the ramp slight left toward I 64 West, US 40 West, US 61 North

456 ft · 11 sec · I 64 West, US 40 West, US 61 North
9

Merge slight left onto Avenue of the Saints

19 mi · 23 min · Avenue of the Saints
10

Take the exit slight left toward I 70 West, US 40 West: Kansas City

0.6 mi · 1 min · I 70 West, US 40 West: Kansas City
11

Merge slight left onto Dwight D Eisenhower Highway

81 mi · 1 hr 35 min · Dwight D Eisenhower Highway
12

Continue on Sheriff Roger I. Wilson Memorial Highway

2.0 mi · 2 min · Sheriff Roger I. Wilson Memorial Highway
13

Continue on Highway Patrol Sgt. Benjamin Booth Memorial Highway

1.6 mi · 1 min · Highway Patrol Sgt. Benjamin Booth Memorial Highway
14

Continue on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway

1.8 mi · 2 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
15

Continue on U.S. Submarine Veterans' Memorial Highway

54 mi · 58 min · U.S. Submarine Veterans' Memorial Highway
16

Continue on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway

52 mi · 56 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
17

Continue on Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway

2.7 mi · 3 min · Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway
18

Continue on Clifton J. Scott Memorial Highway

1.8 mi · 2 min · Clifton J. Scott Memorial Highway
19

Continue on Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway

2.9 mi · 3 min · Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway
20

Continue on George Brett Super Highway

0.8 mi · 58 sec · George Brett Super Highway
21

Take the exit slight right toward I 435 North, US 24 East: Des Moines

1.1 mi · 2 min · I 435 North, US 24 East: Des Moines
22

Merge slight left onto Lamar Hunt Memorial Highway

7.8 mi · 9 min · Lamar Hunt Memorial Highway
23

Continue on I435 N

1.3 mi · 1 min · I435 N
24

Continue straight

21 mi · 22 min
25

Keep slight left to continue on I 29 North, US 71 North: Saint Joseph

26 mi · 27 min · I 29 North, US 71 North: Saint Joseph
26

Take the exit slight right toward I 229 North: Downtown Saint Joseph

0.5 mi · 54 sec · I 229 North: Downtown Saint Joseph
27

Continue straight

5.7 mi · 6 min
28

Take the exit slight right toward Central Business District

0.3 mi · 34 sec · Central Business District
29

Continue on Edmond Street

0.5 mi · 58 sec · Edmond Street
30

Turn left onto South 10th Street

0.2 mi · 21 sec · South 10th Street
31

Turn right onto Frederick Avenue

381 ft · 6 sec · Frederick Avenue
32

Turn slight right onto Walter Welsh Avenue

138 ft · 3 sec · Walter Welsh Avenue
33

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

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 145.4 miles from Ballwin, MO, or about 2h 13m into the drive.

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 80 miles or 1h 13m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 145.4 miles or 2h 13m 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 38m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Saint Joseph, MO than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Ballwin, 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 Ballwin, MO

This is one driving day of about 290.8 miles and 4h 26m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Ballwin, 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.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 145.4 mi from Ballwin, MO · 2h 13m into the drive

Downtown Quincy, IL, IL

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Quincy, IL

145 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Alton, IL

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Quincy, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 145.4 miles from Ballwin, MO, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Saint Joseph, MO

The final approach into Saint Joseph, MO usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Saint Joseph, MO.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$44.17 one way

$88.34 round trip

$3.86/gal 25.4 MPG avg 102 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.25 $48.69 $97.38
premium $4.80 $54.90 $109.79
diesel $5.64 $64.61 $129.21

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$44

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$69–$94

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 101.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $31 in charging · 1 stop · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 87.2 1 $30.53 $13.96
Efficient EV 72.7 0 $25.45 $11.63
EV Truck/SUV 116.3 1 $40.71 $18.61

Gas CO2

102 kg

EV CO2

34 kg (67% less)

Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.

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 data refreshed 4 hours ago

Origin

Ballwin, MO

Afternoon in Ballwin on Sunday

Local time

2:43 PM

CDT

Current temp

44°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Saint Joseph, MO

Afternoon in Saint Joseph on Sunday

Local time

2:43 PM

CDT

Current temp

45°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Along the Route

55°F

Quincy, IL

145 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

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

4h 26m on the road

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Ballwin, MO to Saint Joseph, MO covers 290.8 miles and takes about 4h 26m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Holloway Road, Baxter Road, Clarkson Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 145.4 miles from Ballwin, MO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $44.17 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a straightforward 4h 26m drive. You will face about 0 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Ballwin, MO to Saint Joseph, MO is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Ballwin, MO to Saint Joseph, MO does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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