The drive from Independence, MO to Saint Martins, MO covers 135.6 miles and takes about 2h 44m 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, U.S. Submarine Veterans' Memorial Highway, MO 87 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 52.5 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $21.20 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
67.8 miles from Independence, MO
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 16m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 44m. Total distance: 135.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 2h 44m drive with frequent turns across 135.6 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 19 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 52.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near South Lynn Street.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 44m drive. You will face about 11 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (South Lynn Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (East Walnut Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.3 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 11 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip|~0m in|South Lynn Street
Turn right onto South Lynn Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|East Walnut Street
Turn left onto East Walnut Street
Navigation decision point
6
3.3 mi into trip|~6m in
Turn left toward I 70 East: Columbia, Saint Louis
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 70 East: Columbia, Saint Louis
6
96.9 mi into trip|~1h 47m in
Take the exit toward MO 87: Boonville, Prairie Home
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 106
Toward MO 87: Boonville, Prairie Home
6
134.9 mi into trip|~2h 42m in|Business 50 West
Turn right onto Business 50 West
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
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 Independence, MO to Saint Martins, MO, road signs begin pointing toward Prairie Home along the way.
Prairie Home
96.9 mi in|~1h 47m
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
52.5 mi
56m
U.S. Submarine Veterans' Memorial Highway
36.8 mi
39m
MO 87
18.2 mi
25m
MO 179
15.3 mi
21m
MO T
4.4 mi
7m
South Noland Road
3.1 mi
5m
Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway
2.6 mi
3m
Clifton J. Scott Memorial Highway
1.5 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 52.5 mi, about 56m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Independence, MO and Saint Martins, MO.
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $14 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
40.7
0
$14.24
$6.51
Efficient EV
33.9
0
$11.86
$5.42
EV Truck/SUV
54.2
0
$18.98
$8.68
Gas CO2
47 kg
EV CO2
16 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 15, 2026
Origin
Independence, MO
Night
in Independence on Friday
Local time
10:43 PM
CDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Saint Martins, MO
Night
in Saint Martins on Friday
Local time
10:43 PM
CDT
Current temp
57°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
16 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
2h 44m 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 Independence, MO to Saint Martins, MO covers 135.6 miles and takes about 2h 44m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, U.S. Submarine Veterans' Memorial Highway, MO 87. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 67.8 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 $21.20 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.
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 straightforward 2h 44m drive. You will face about 11 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (South Lynn Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (East Walnut Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.3 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Independence, MO to Saint Martins, MO, road signs begin pointing toward Prairie Home along the way.
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.
