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Trip from Kansas City, MO to Independence, MO

Drive Time

20m

Distance

10.7 mi

17 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 19m ★
6 AM
0h 20m
8 AM
0h 24m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 21m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 24m
8 PM
0h 19m ★

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Kansas City, MO, MO

Kansas City, MO

Matthew Chirinos

Downtown Independence, MO, MO

Independence, MO

Ever Rayan

Trip Overview

The drive from Kansas City, MO to Independence, MO covers 10.7 miles and takes about 20m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on East 23rd Street South, East 23rd Trafficway, George Brett Super Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 3 miles on East 23rd Street South. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.63 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

0 planned breaks

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

Midpoint

5.3 miles from Kansas City, MO

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 9m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a 20m drive with frequent turns across 10.7 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
East 23rd Street South is the longest continuous segment at about 3 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near East 12th Street.

Route Complexity 5/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 10.7 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (East 12th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.6 miles (I 70; US 24; US 40 / George Brett Super Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 9 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 | East 12th Street

Turn right onto East 12th Street

Navigation decision point

5
0.3 mi into trip | ~0m in

Take the ramp toward I 70 East, US 40 East

Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 70 East, US 40 East
5
0.6 mi into trip | ~1m in | I 70; US 24; US 40 / George Brett Super Highway

Merge onto I 70; US 24; US 40 / George Brett Super Highway

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
2.7 mi into trip | ~4m in

Take the exit toward East 23rd Street

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 4C Toward East 23rd Street
5
10.6 mi into trip | ~19m in | South Lynn Street

Turn right onto South Lynn Street

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
East 23rd Street South 3 mi 5m
East 23rd Trafficway 2.5 mi 3m
George Brett Super Highway 2.2 mi 2m
East 23rd Street 1.4 mi 3m
South Noland Road 0.8 mi 1m
East 12th Street 0.2 mi <1m
Charlotte Street <0.1 mi <1m
East Walnut Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: East 23rd Street South — 3 mi, about 5m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Kansas City, MO and Independence, MO.

1

Start on Oak Street

20 ft · 4 sec · Oak Street
2

Turn right onto East 12th Street

0.2 mi · 42 sec · East 12th Street
3

Turn right onto Charlotte Street

476 ft · 11 sec · Charlotte Street
4

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 28 sec
Toward I 70 East, US 40 East
5

Merge onto I 70; US 24; US 40

2.2 mi · 2 min · George Brett Super Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 22 sec
Exit 4C Toward East 23rd Street Use the slight right lane.
7

Turn left onto East 23rd Street

1.4 mi · 3 min · East 23rd Street
8

Continue on East 23rd Trafficway

2.5 mi · 3 min · East 23rd Trafficway
Use the straight lane.
9

Continue on MO 78

3.0 mi · 5 min · East 23rd Street South
10

Turn left onto South Noland Road

0.8 mi · 1 min · South Noland Road
11

Turn left onto East Walnut Street

466 ft · 22 sec · East Walnut Street
12

Turn right onto South Lynn Street

394 ft · 22 sec · South Lynn Street
13

Turn left onto East Kansas Avenue

145 ft · 6 sec · East Kansas Avenue
14

Arrive at destination

East Kansas Avenue

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 5.3 miles from Kansas City, MO, or about 9m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 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 10.7 miles or 20m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 5.3 miles or 9m 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 Independence, MO than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Kansas 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 Kansas City, MO

This is one driving day of about 10.7 miles and 20m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Kansas City, 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 East 23rd Street South for about 3 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 5.3 mi from Kansas City, MO · 9m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Lawson, MO

5 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

Lawson, MO

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 10.7 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Lawson, MO

Meal break

The midpoint is around 5.3 miles from Kansas City, MO, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Independence, MO

The final approach into Independence, 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 Independence, 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

$1.63 one way

$3.25 round trip

$3.86/gal 25.4 MPG avg 4 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.25 $1.79 $3.58
premium $4.80 $2.02 $4.04
diesel $5.64 $2.38 $4.75

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: 3.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 3.2 0 $1.12 $0.51
Efficient EV 2.7 0 $0.94 $0.43
EV Truck/SUV 4.3 0 $1.50 $0.68

Gas CO2

4 kg

EV CO2

1 kg (75% 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 3 hours ago

Origin

Kansas City, MO

Afternoon in Kansas City on Monday

Local time

1:24 PM

CDT

Current temp

81°F

Mostly Cloudy

SSW 13 to 18 mph 13% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 12 at 9:46PM CDT until April 18 at 1:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 12 at 9:46PM CDT until April 20 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS St Louis MO

Destination

Independence, MO

Afternoon in Independence on Monday

Local time

1:24 PM

CDT

Current temp

49°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

32 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

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 Kansas City, MO to Independence, MO covers 10.7 miles and takes about 20m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are East 23rd Street South, East 23rd Trafficway, George Brett Super Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 5.3 miles from Kansas City, MO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.63 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 10.7 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (East 12th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.6 miles (I 70; US 24; US 40 / George Brett Super Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Kansas City, MO to Independence, MO does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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Explore More

Return Trip

Independence, MO to Kansas City, MO

Plan the drive back the other way.

10.7 mi 19m

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