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Trip from Jefferson City, MO to Ballwin, MO

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

2h 22m

Distance

117.6 mi

189 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$18

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 30 min
4 AM
2h 12m ★
6 AM
2h 22m
8 AM
2h 42m
10 AM
2h 29m
12 PM
2h 27m
3 PM
2h 30m
5 PM
2h 41m
8 PM
2h 16m

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

capital city of Missouri, United States and county seat of Cole County

Jefferson City, MO

Wikimedia Commons

city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States

Ballwin, MO

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Jefferson City, MO to Ballwin, MO covers 117.6 miles and takes about 2h 22m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Jefferson Street, West McCarty Street, US 54 East for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $18.39 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.

Midpoint

58.8 miles from Jefferson City, MO

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 11m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 22m. Total distance: 117.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

2h 22m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 2h 22m drive with frequent turns across 117.6 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Jefferson Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.

Driving Effort 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Jefferson City, MO to Ballwin, MO is easy. At 2h 22m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Jefferson City, MO to Ballwin, MO is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Jefferson Street
West McCarty Street
US 54 East
I 70 East
Dwight D
I 64 East
Avenue of the Saints
MO 340

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: Jefferson Street — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Jefferson City, MO and Ballwin, MO.

1

Start on East Wall Way

154 ft · 13 sec · East Wall Way
2

Turn right onto Jefferson Street

253 ft · 15 sec · Jefferson Street
3

Turn right onto West McCarty Street

0.6 mi · 1 min · West McCarty Street
4

Take the ramp right toward US 54 East, US 63 North: Fulton, Columbia

0.1 mi · 18 sec · US 54 East, US 63 North: Fulton, Columbia
5

Merge slight left

30 mi · 32 min
6

Take the exit slight right toward I 70 East, US 40 East: Saint Louis

0.2 mi · 15 sec · I 70 East, US 40 East: Saint Louis
7

Merge slight left onto Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway

62 mi · 1 hr 11 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
8

Take the exit slight right toward I 64 East, US 40 East, US 61 South: Chesterfield

0.3 mi · 33 sec · I 64 East, US 40 East, US 61 South: Chesterfield
9

Merge slight left onto Avenue of the Saints

19 mi · 23 min · Avenue of the Saints
10

Take the exit slight right toward MO 340: Olive Boulevard, Clarkson Road

0.4 mi · 58 sec · MO 340: Olive Boulevard, Clarkson Road
11

Turn slight right onto MO 340

184 ft · 7 sec · MO 340
12

Turn straight onto Clarkson Road

0.9 mi · 1 min · Clarkson Road
13

Turn left onto Baxter Road

2.9 mi · 5 min · Baxter Road
14

Turn straight onto Holloway Road

1.2 mi · 3 min · Holloway Road
15

Turn right

220 ft · 18 sec
16

Turn right

220 ft · 16 sec
17

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

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 58.8 miles from Jefferson City, MO, or about 1h 11m into the drive.

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 26 miles or 31m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 58.8 miles or 1h 11m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 1h 56m

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

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Jefferson City, 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 Jefferson City, MO

This is one driving day of about 117.6 miles and 2h 22m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 26 miles from Jefferson City, MO.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 58.8 mi from Jefferson City, MO · 1h 11m into the drive

city in Warren County, Missouri, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Warrenton, MO

59 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

Fulton, MO

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 26 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Warrenton, MO

Meal break

The midpoint is around 58.8 miles from Jefferson City, MO, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Ballwin, MO

The final approach into Ballwin, 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 Ballwin, 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

$18.39 one way

$36.77 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 41 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $20.19 $40.37
premium $4.89 $22.63 $45.26
diesel $5.61 $25.96 $51.93

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$18

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$43–$68

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 41.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $12 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 35.3 0 $12.35 $5.64
Efficient EV 29.4 0 $10.29 $4.70
EV Truck/SUV 47 0 $16.46 $7.53

Gas CO2

41 kg

EV CO2

14 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

Jefferson City, MO

Night in Jefferson City on Friday

Local time

11:44 PM

CDT

Current temp

74°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Ballwin, MO

Night in Ballwin on Friday

Local time

11:44 PM

CDT

Current temp

62°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

60°F

Warrenton, MO

59 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

12 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 22m 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 Jefferson City, MO to Ballwin, MO covers 117.6 miles and takes about 2h 22m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Jefferson Street, West McCarty Street, US 54 East. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 58.8 miles from Jefferson City, MO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $18.39 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.

The drive from Jefferson City, MO to Ballwin, MO is easy. At 2h 22m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Jefferson City, MO to Ballwin, MO is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

The route from Jefferson City, MO to Ballwin, MO does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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