Trip from Clayton, MO to Florissant, MO

Drive Time

20m

Distance

13.2 mi

21 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 6 min
4 AM
0h 19m ★
6 AM
0h 21m
8 AM
0h 25m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 24m
8 PM
0h 20m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Clayton, MO, MO

Clayton, MO

cottonbro studio

Downtown Florissant, MO, MO

Florissant, MO

Yaroslav Shuraev

Trip Overview

If you are looking for a quick connection between Clayton and Florissant, this 13.2-mile trek is a straightforward commute across the Missouri suburbs. You can expect to spend about 20 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stay. With a fuel budget of just $2, it is a highly economical route for those traveling within the Midwest region. You will primarily utilize the Inner Belt Expressway, North Hanley Road, and West Saint Anthony Lane to reach your destination. Because the journey is so short, you have complete flexibility to depart whenever your schedule allows without worrying about complex travel logistics.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

0 planned breaks

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

6.6 miles from Clayton, MO

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 10m into the drive .

Drive Character

This 20-minute drive is heavily highway-focused, with 66% of the journey spent on high-speed roads. You will settle into a rhythm quickly, as the longest stretch of your trip covers 8.3 miles on the Inner Belt Expressway. The experience transitions from the expressway's fast-paced flow to the more local feel of North Hanley Road and West Saint Anthony Lane as you approach Florissant. While you won't encounter the winding scenery of rural backroads, the route offers a reliable and efficient path for getting across the region. Expect a functional, no-nonsense drive that prioritizes speed and direct navigation over recreational cruising.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Inner Belt Expressway is the longest continuous segment at about 8.3 miles.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

651 ft 512 ft

Total Climb

295 ft

Total Descent

280 ft

Highest Point

651 ft

~5.9 mi in

Elevation Range

139 ft

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Inner Belt Expressway and North Hanley Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.9 miles in near Shaw Park Drive.

Route Complexity 8/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

This is a demanding drive. With 10 significant decision points across 13.2 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 0.9 miles (Shaw Park Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (Forest Park Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 10 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

6
0.9 mi into trip | ~2m in | Shaw Park Drive

Turn left onto Shaw Park Drive

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left / right lanes.
5
1.3 mi into trip | ~2m in | Forest Park Parkway

Merge onto Forest Park Parkway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
1.6 mi into trip | ~3m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 170 North

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 170 North
7
10.2 mi into trip | ~14m in

Take the exit toward North Hanley Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 9C Toward North Hanley Road
6
12.5 mi into trip | ~19m in | South New Florissant Road

Turn left onto South New Florissant Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the none lane.

Towns Along This Route

On the drive from Clayton, MO to Florissant, MO, road signs begin pointing toward Forest Park Parkway West along the way.

Forest Park Parkway West

1.2 mi in | ~2m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Inner Belt Expressway 8.3 mi 10m
North Hanley Road 1 mi 1m
West Saint Anthony Lane 0.7 mi 1m
South New Florissant Road 0.6 mi 1m
Wydown Boulevard 0.6 mi 1m
Graham Road 0.5 mi 1m
Forest Park Parkway 0.3 mi <1m
Shaw Park Drive 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Inner Belt Expressway — 8.3 mi, about 10m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Clayton, MO and Florissant, MO.

1

Start on Hillvale Drive

178 ft · 7 sec · Hillvale Drive
2

Turn left onto Wydown Boulevard

0.6 mi · 1 min · Wydown Boulevard
3

At end of road, turn right onto South Hanley Road

0.3 mi · 30 sec · South Hanley Road
4

Turn left onto Shaw Park Drive

0.3 mi · 33 sec · Shaw Park Drive
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
5

Take the ramp

294 ft · 6 sec
Toward Forest Park Parkway West
6

Merge onto Forest Park Parkway

0.3 mi · 39 sec · Forest Park Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Keep slight right at fork

0.2 mi · 36 sec
Toward I 170 North Use the slight right lane.
8

Merge onto I 170

8.3 mi · 10 min · Inner Belt Expressway
Use the none lane.
9

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 23 sec
Exit 9C Toward North Hanley Road Use the slight right lane.
10

Turn left onto North Hanley Road

1.0 mi · 1 min · North Hanley Road
Use the none lane.
11

Continue on Graham Road

0.5 mi · 1 min · Graham Road
Use the none lane.
12

Turn right onto West Saint Anthony Lane

0.7 mi · 1 min · West Saint Anthony Lane
Use the none lane.
13

Turn left onto South New Florissant Road

0.6 mi · 1 min · South New Florissant Road
Use the none lane.
14

Arrive at destination

North New Florissant Road

Trip Plan

Since this is a short, 13.2-mile trip with no planned stops, you can easily fit this into any part of your day. Keep in mind that the majority of your time will be spent on the Inner Belt Expressway, so check local traffic reports before you leave to ensure your 20-minute estimate holds up. Because the fuel cost is a modest $2, you don’t need to worry about planning for extra gas budget or refueling breaks along the way. Use the simplicity of this route to your advantage by traveling during off-peak hours to avoid potential congestion on the expressway. Your best strategy is to stay focused on the transition from the highway to the local roads once you exit toward Florissant.

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 6.6 miles from Clayton, MO, or about 10m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 8.3 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 13.2 miles or 20m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 6.6 miles or 10m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 16m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Clayton, 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 Clayton, MO

This is one driving day of about 13.2 miles and 20m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Clayton, MO.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.
The longest stretch is on Inner Belt Expressway for about 8.3 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 6.6 mi from Clayton, MO · 10m into the drive

Downtown East Saint Louis, IL, IL

Mid-route town

Meal stop

East Saint Louis, IL

7 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 13.2 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

East Saint Louis, IL

Meal break

The midpoint is around 6.6 miles from Clayton, MO, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Florissant, MO

The final approach into Florissant, 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 Florissant, 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

$2.00 one way

$4.01 round trip

$3.86/gal 25.4 MPG avg 5 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.25 $2.21 $4.42
premium $4.80 $2.49 $4.98
diesel $5.64 $2.93 $5.87

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$2

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$27–$52

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 4.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 4 0 $1.39 $0.63
Efficient EV 3.3 0 $1.15 $0.53
EV Truck/SUV 5.3 0 $1.85 $0.84

Gas CO2

5 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (60% 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 data refreshed 2 days ago

Origin

Clayton, MO

Afternoon in Clayton on Sunday

Local time

3:53 PM

CDT

Current temp

81°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Florissant, MO

Afternoon in Florissant on Sunday

Local time

3:53 PM

CDT

Current temp

46°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

35 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

20m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Clayton, MO to Florissant, MO covers 13.2 miles and takes about 20m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Inner Belt Expressway, North Hanley Road, West Saint Anthony Lane. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 6.6 miles from Clayton, MO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.00 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a demanding drive. With 10 significant decision points across 13.2 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 0.9 miles (Shaw Park Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (Forest Park Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Clayton, MO to Florissant, MO, road signs begin pointing toward Forest Park Parkway West along the way.
Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 512 ft to 651 ft elevation with about 295 ft of total climbing.

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Return Trip

Florissant, MO to Clayton, MO

Plan the drive back the other way.

12.8 mi 20m

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