The drive from Bellefontaine Neighbors, MO to Lee's Summit, MO covers 242 miles and takes about 4h 42m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 70, Rosemary Straub Davison Highway, I 470 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is highway-focused drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 215.4 miles on I 70.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $37.83 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
121 miles from Bellefontaine Neighbors, MO
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 21m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 42m. Total distance: 242 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (93%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 4h 42m highway drive covering 242 miles, with most of the trip on I 70 and Rosemary Straub Davison Highway. The longest continuous stretch is about 215.4 miles on I 70.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 19 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 70 is the longest continuous segment at about 215.4 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 70 and Rosemary Straub Davison Highway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.6 miles in near Halls Ferry Road.
Driving Effort8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 15 significant decision points across 242 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.6 miles (Halls Ferry Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 13.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 14.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 15 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
1.6 mi into trip|~2m in|Halls Ferry Road
Turn right onto Halls Ferry Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
13.5 mi into trip|~19m in
Take the exit toward I 70: Saint Louis, Kansas City
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 20A
Toward I 70: Saint Louis, Kansas City
8
14.3 mi into trip|~20m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 70 West: Kansas City
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 20B
Toward I 70 West: Kansas City
8
231.7 mi into trip|~4h 27m in
Take the exit toward I 470 South, MO 291 South: Lee's Summit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Exit 15A
Toward I 470 South, MO 291 South: Lee's Summit
8
238.3 mi into trip|~4h 35m in|MO 291
Keep slight left at fork onto MO 291 toward MO 291 South: Harrisonville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Exit 10B
Toward MO 291 South: Harrisonville
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 Bellefontaine Neighbors, MO to Lee's Summit, MO, road signs begin pointing toward Kansas City along the way.
Kansas City
13.5 mi in|~19m
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 70
215.4 mi
4h 4m
Rosemary Straub Davison Highway
8.6 mi
10m
I 470
6.4 mi
7m
MO 291
2.5 mi
4m
Halls Ferry Road
2 mi
2m
Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway
1.6 mi
1m
Saint Cyr Road
1.2 mi
1m
Southeast 3rd Street
0.9 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
I 70
— 215.4 mi, about 4h 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bellefontaine Neighbors, MO and Lee's Summit, MO.
1
Start on this road
157 ft·13 sec·this road
2
Turn right onto Bellefontaine Road
0.4 mi·47 sec·Bellefontaine Road
3
Turn right onto Saint Cyr Road
1.2 mi·1 min·Saint Cyr Road
4
Turn right onto Halls Ferry Road
2.0 mi·2 min·Halls Ferry Road
Use the right lane.
5
Keep slight left at fork onto MO AC
0.7 mi·1 min·New Halls Ferry Road
6
Turn left onto Dunn Road
0.4 mi·53 sec·Dunn Road
Use the left lane.
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·33 sec
Toward I 270 West
8
Merge onto I 270
8.6 mi·10 min·Rosemary Straub Davison Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi·25 sec
Exit 20AToward I 70: Saint Louis, Kansas City
10
Continue on this road
0.5 mi·42 sec·this road
Exit 20A-BToward I 70: Saint Louis, Kansas CityUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.5 mi·41 sec
Exit 20BToward I 70 West: Kansas CityUse the slight right lane.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
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...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$37.83 one way
$75.67 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg85 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$41.54
$83.08
premium
$4.89
$46.57
$93.14
diesel
$5.61
$53.43
$106.86
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$38
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$63–$88
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 84.7 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $25 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
72.6
0
$25.41
$11.62
Efficient EV
60.5
0
$21.17
$9.68
EV Truck/SUV
96.8
1
$33.88
$15.49
Gas CO2
85 kg
EV CO2
28 kg (67% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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 17, 2026
Origin
Bellefontaine Neighbors, MO
Late night
in Bellefontaine Neighbors on Saturday
Local time
1:50 AM
CDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Lee's Summit, MO
Late night
in Lee's Summit on Saturday
Local time
1:50 AM
CDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
9 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 42m 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 Bellefontaine Neighbors, MO to Lee's Summit, MO covers 242 miles and takes about 4h 42m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 70, Rosemary Straub Davison Highway, I 470. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 121 miles from Bellefontaine Neighbors, MO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $37.83 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 demanding drive. With 15 significant decision points across 242 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.6 miles (Halls Ferry Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 13.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 14.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Bellefontaine Neighbors, MO to Lee's Summit, MO, road signs begin pointing toward Kansas City along the way.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Gateway Arch National Park.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh 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.
