The drive from Independence, MO to Monett, MO covers 182.6 miles and takes about 3h 35m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 49, North 14th Street, Lamar Hunt Memorial Highway for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is highway-focused drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 136.8 miles on I 49.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $28.55 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
91.3 miles from Independence, MO
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 42m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 35m. Total distance: 182.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 35m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (75%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 3h 35m highway drive covering 182.6 miles, with most of the trip on I 49 and North 14th Street. The longest continuous stretch is about 136.8 miles on I 49.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 23 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 49 is the longest continuous segment at about 136.8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 49 and North 14th Street. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 7.3 miles in.
Driving Effort7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 17 significant decision points across 182.6 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 7.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 16 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 17 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
7.3 mi into trip|~10m in
Take the exit toward I 435 South: Wichita
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 8A
Toward I 435 South: Wichita
8
16 mi into trip|~21m in
Take the exit toward I 49 South, US 71 South, I 470 East, US 50 East: Joplin, Lee's Summit
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 71
Toward I 49 South, US 71 South, I 470 East, US...
8
16.6 mi into trip|~21m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 49, I 470, US 50 East, US 71 South: Joplin, Lee's Summit
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 49, I 470, US 50 East, US 71 South: Jo...
7
16.8 mi into trip|~22m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 49 South, US 71 South: Joplin
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 49 South, US 71 South: Joplin
6
154.2 mi into trip|~2h 50m in
Take the exit toward I 44 East: Springfield
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 46B
Toward I 44 East: Springfield
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Independence, MO and Monett, MO, road signs point toward Lee's Summit and Sarcoxie.
Lee's Summit
16 mi in|~21m
Sarcoxie
162.3 mi in|~2h 59m
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 49
136.8 mi
2h 27m
North 14th Street
17.4 mi
30m
Lamar Hunt Memorial Highway
8.3 mi
9m
Congressman Gene Taylor Highway
7.8 mi
8m
South Noland Road
3 mi
4m
Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway
2.9 mi
3m
Blackberry Road
2 mi
3m
George Brett Super Highway
1.1 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
I 49
— 136.8 mi, about 2h 27m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Independence, MO and Monett, MO.
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...
8 mi from route
~21 min detour
Free
near mile 157.5
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$28.55 one way
$57.09 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg64 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$31.34
$62.69
premium
$4.89
$35.14
$70.28
diesel
$5.61
$40.32
$80.63
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$29
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$54–$79
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 63.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
EV Charging Along Route
1 DC fast chargers
· Coverage: fair
Blink Charging Station
Monett, Missouri
Blink
1 DCFC
Blink: 1
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $19 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
54.8
0
$19.17
$8.76
Efficient EV
45.7
0
$15.98
$7.30
EV Truck/SUV
73
0
$25.56
$11.69
Gas CO2
64 kg
EV CO2
21 kg (67% 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 18, 2026
Origin
Independence, MO
Morning
in Independence on Saturday
Local time
9:45 AM
CDT
Current temp
42°F
Mostly Cloudy
NNW 13 mph2% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 18 at 2:43AM CDT by NWS St Louis MO
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 18 at 2:07AM CDT until April 19 at 5:30PM CDT by NWS Springfield MO
Destination
Monett, MO
Morning
in Monett on Saturday
Local time
9:45 AM
CDT
Current temp
44°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
N 16 mph88% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 18 at 2:43AM CDT by NWS St Louis MO
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 18 at 2:07AM CDT until April 19 at 5:30PM CDT by NWS Springfield MO
73°F
Nevada, MO
91 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
2 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 35m 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 Independence, MO to Monett, MO covers 182.6 miles and takes about 3h 35m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 49, North 14th Street, Lamar Hunt Memorial Highway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 91.3 miles from Independence, MO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $28.55 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 17 significant decision points across 182.6 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 7.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 16 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Independence, MO and Monett, MO, road signs point toward Lee's Summit and Sarcoxie.
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.
