The drive from Carterville, MO to Saint Joseph, MO covers 202.7 miles and takes about 3h 50m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Purple Heart Trail, I 29, Trooper Charles P. Corbin Memorial Highway for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 127.6 miles on Purple Heart Trail.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $31.69 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
101.3 miles from Carterville, MO
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 52m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 50m. Total distance: 202.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 50m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 3h 50m drive with frequent turns across 202.7 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 30 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Purple Heart Trail is the longest continuous segment at about 127.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in.
Driving Effort9/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 19 significant decision points across 202.7 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 0.8 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 148.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 19 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.8 mi into trip|~1m in
Take the ramp toward I 49 Business, MO 171 South: Carthage
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 49 Business, MO 171 South: Carthage
8
7 mi into trip|~8m in
Turn left toward I 49 North, US 71 North: Kansas City
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward I 49 North, US 71 North: Kansas City
7
148.5 mi into trip|~2h 44m in
Take the exit toward 11th Street, Downtown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward 11th Street, Downtown
6
152.4 mi into trip|~2h 52m in|MO 9
Keep slight left at fork onto MO 9 toward MO 9 North: Riverside, Parkville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward MO 9 North: Riverside, Parkville
7
154.8 mi into trip|~2h 55m in
Take the exit toward I 29 North, US 71 North: K.C.I. Airport, Saint Joseph
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward I 29 North, US 71 North: K.C.I. Airport,...
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Carterville, MO and Saint Joseph, MO, road signs point toward Downtown and Parkville.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
George Washington Carver National Monument
National Monument
The young child known as the "Plant Doctor" tended his secret garden while observing the day-to-day operations of a 19th century farm. Nature and nurture ultimately influenced George on his quest for...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$31.69 one way
$63.38 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg71 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$34.79
$69.59
premium
$4.89
$39.01
$78.02
diesel
$5.61
$44.75
$89.51
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$32
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$57–$82
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 70.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
EV Charging Along Route
1 DC fast chargers
· Coverage: sparse
Tesla Supercharger
Nevada, Missouri
Tesla
1 DCFC
Tesla: 1
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $21 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
60.8
0
$21.28
$9.73
Efficient EV
50.7
0
$17.74
$8.11
EV Truck/SUV
81.1
1
$28.38
$12.97
Gas CO2
71 kg
EV CO2
24 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 17, 2026
Origin
Carterville, MO
Morning
in Carterville on Saturday
Local time
7:31 AM
CDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Saint Joseph, MO
Morning
in Saint Joseph on Saturday
Local time
7:31 AM
CDT
Current temp
83°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
SW 14 to 21 mph70% chanceLive forecast
55°F
Garden City, MO
101 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
26 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
3h 50m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Carterville, MO to Saint Joseph, MO covers 202.7 miles and takes about 3h 50m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Purple Heart Trail, I 29, Trooper Charles P. Corbin Memorial Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 101.3 miles from Carterville, MO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $31.69 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. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This is a demanding drive. With 19 significant decision points across 202.7 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 0.8 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 148.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Carterville, MO and Saint Joseph, MO, road signs point toward Downtown and Parkville.
Yes. Nearby national parks include George Washington Carver National Monument.
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, NREL for EV charging, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
