The drive from Eureka, MO to Independence, MO covers 315.9 miles and takes about 6h 9m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Dwight D Eisenhower Highway, I 55, U.S. Submarine Veterans' Memorial Highway for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 80.7 miles on Dwight D Eisenhower Highway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $49.39 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
158 miles from Eureka, MO
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 3h 11m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 6h 9m. Total distance: 315.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
6h 9m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 6h 9m drive with frequent turns across 315.9 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 32 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Dwight D Eisenhower Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 80.7 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 76.4 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 18 significant decision points across 315.9 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 76.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 76.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 88.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 18 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
8
76.4 mi into trip|~1h 32m in
Take the exit toward I 270 West, I 255 East: Kansas City, Chicago
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 196
Toward I 270 West, I 255 East: Kansas City, Chi...
8
76.6 mi into trip|~1h 32m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 270 West: Kansas City
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 270 West: Kansas City
8
88.9 mi into trip|~1h 48m in
Take the exit toward I 64, US 40, US 61: Wentzville, Saint Louis
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 12
Toward I 64, US 40, US 61: Wentzville, Saint Lo...
8
89 mi into trip|~1h 48m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 64 West, US 40 West, US 61 North: Wentzville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 64 West, US 40 West, US 61 North: Went...
8
115 mi into trip|~2h 20m in|US 40
Take the exit onto US 40 toward I 70 West, US 40 West: Kansas City
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.
Exit 1A
Toward I 70 West, US 40 West: Kansas City
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Eureka, MO and Independence, MO, road signs point toward Chicago and Saint Louis.
Chicago
76.4 mi in|~1h 32m
Saint Louis
88.9 mi in|~1h 48m
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Dwight D Eisenhower Highway
80.7 mi
1h 35m
I 55
59.4 mi
1h 4m
U.S. Submarine Veterans' Memorial Highway
54.4 mi
58m
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
54.3 mi
58m
Avenue of the Saints
25.4 mi
30m
I 270
11.5 mi
14m
US 61
7.1 mi
10m
South Noland Road
3 mi
5m
Longest stretch:
Dwight D Eisenhower Highway
— 80.7 mi, about 1h 35m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Eureka, MO and Independence, MO.
1
Start on MO D
2.5 mi·6 min·MO D
2
Turn right onto US 61
7.1 mi·10 min·US 61
3
Enter roundabout onto US 61
128 ft·2 sec·North Kingshighway Street
4
Continue on US 61
2.4 mi·3 min·North Kingshighway Street
5
Continue on US 61
2.8 mi·4 min·North King's Highway
6
Turn left onto MO M
0.5 mi·1 min·MO M
7
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·27 sec
Toward I 55 North: Saint Louis
8
Merge onto I 55
59 mi·1 hr 4 min·I 55
9
Continue on I 55
1.3 mi·1 min·Rosa Parks Highway
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi·27 sec
Exit 196Toward I 270 West, I 255 East: Kansas City, ChicagoUse the slight right lane.
11
Keep slight left at fork
388 ft·8 sec
Toward I 270 West: Kansas CityUse the slight left lane.
12
Continue on this road
0.7 mi·1 min·this road
Exit 196Toward I 270 West
13
Merge onto I 270
11 mi·14 min·I 270
Use the straight lane.
14
Take the exit
0.1 mi·17 sec
Exit 12Toward I 64, US 40, US 61: Wentzville, Saint LouisUse the slight right lane.
15
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi·48 sec
Toward I 64 West, US 40 West, US 61 North: WentzvilleUse the slight left lane.
16
Continue on this road
0.1 mi·9 sec·this road
Exit 12Toward I 64 West, US 40 West, US 61 North: Wentzville
17
Merge onto I 64; US 40; US 61
25 mi·30 min·Avenue of the Saints
Use the straight lane.
18
Take the exit onto US 40
0.6 mi·1 min·US 40
Exit 1AToward I 70 West, US 40 West: Kansas CityUse the straight / slight left lanes.
19
Merge onto I 70; US 40
81 mi·1 hr 35 min·Dwight D Eisenhower Highway
20
Continue on I 70; US 40
2.0 mi·2 min·Sheriff Roger I. Wilson Memorial Highway
21
Continue on I 70; US 40
1.6 mi·1 min·Highway Patrol Sgt. Benjamin Booth Memorial Highway
22
Continue on I 70; US 40
1.8 mi·2 min·Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
23
Continue on I 70; US 40
54 mi·58 min·U.S. Submarine Veterans' Memorial Highway
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Established by 1750, Ste. Geneviève was the first permanent European settlement in Missouri. Early French Canadian settlers were drawn here by the rich agricultural land known as Le Grand Champ (the B...
6 mi from route
~16 min detour
Free
near mile 32.7
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...
12 mi from route
~31 min detour
$19
near mile 76.3
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$49.39 one way
$98.77 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg111 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$54.23
$108.45
premium
$4.89
$60.79
$121.58
diesel
$5.61
$69.75
$139.49
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$49
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$74–$99
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 110.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $33 in charging
· 1 stop
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
94.8
1
$33.17
$15.16
Efficient EV
79
0
$27.64
$12.64
EV Truck/SUV
126.4
1
$44.23
$20.22
Gas CO2
111 kg
EV CO2
37 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 as of Apr 17, 2026
Origin
Eureka, MO
Afternoon
in Eureka on Friday
Local time
3:11 PM
CDT
Current temp
84°F
Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
S 5 to 18 mph18% chanceLive forecast
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued April 17 at 2:14AM CDT until April 18 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Springfield MO
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued April 17 at 1:42AM CDT until April 18 at 4:00AM CDT by NWS Kansas City/Pleasant Hill MO
Destination
Independence, MO
Afternoon
in Independence on Friday
Local time
3:11 PM
CDT
Current temp
82°F
Partly Sunny then Showers And Thunderstorms
SSW 15 to 20 mph78% chanceLive forecast
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued April 17 at 2:14AM CDT until April 18 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Springfield MO
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued April 17 at 1:42AM CDT until April 18 at 4:00AM CDT by NWS Kansas City/Pleasant Hill MO
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
2 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
6h 9m on the road
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Eureka, MO to Independence, MO covers 315.9 miles and takes about 6h 9m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Dwight D Eisenhower Highway, I 55, U.S. Submarine Veterans' Memorial Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 158 miles from Eureka, MO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $49.39 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
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 18 significant decision points across 315.9 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 76.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 76.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 88.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Eureka, MO and Independence, MO, road signs point toward Chicago and Saint Louis.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park and 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.
