The drive from Kansas City, MO to Bernie, MO covers 390 miles and takes about 7h 44m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 60, MO 13, MO 7 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is highway-focused drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 203.2 miles on US 60.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $60.97 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
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
195 miles from Kansas City, MO
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 3h 50m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 7h 44m. Total distance: 390 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 2 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
7h 44m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
Drive Character
This is a 7h 44m highway drive covering 390 miles, with most of the trip on US 60 and MO 13. The longest continuous stretch is about 203.2 miles on US 60.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 28 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
US 60 is the longest continuous segment at about 203.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 60 and MO 13. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near East 12th Street.
Driving Effort8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 22 significant decision points across 390 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: near the start (East 12th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (Campbell Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (US 71 / Bruce R. Watkins Drive): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 22 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
0.6 mi into trip|~1m in|Campbell Street
Turn right onto Campbell Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.8 mi into trip|~2m in|US 71 / Bruce R. Watkins Drive
Merge onto US 71 / Bruce R. Watkins Drive
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
38.1 mi into trip|~46m in|MO 7
Take the exit onto MO 7 toward MO 7 South: Clinton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 157
Toward MO 7 South: Clinton
6
257.4 mi into trip|~5h 3m in|US 60
Keep slight left at fork onto US 60 toward US 60 East: Mountain View, Poplar Bluff
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 60 East: Mountain View, Poplar Bluff
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Kansas City, MO and Bernie, MO, road signs point toward Saint Louis and Poplar Bluff.
Saint Louis
161.8 mi in|~3h 9m
Poplar Bluff
257.4 mi in|~5h 3m|via US 60
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 60
203.2 mi
3h 58m
MO 13
68 mi
1h 19m
MO 7
55.6 mi
1h 4m
Bruce R. Watkins Drive
37.3 mi
44m
MO 25
9.2 mi
13m
Schoolcraft Freeway
8.3 mi
10m
Payne Stewart Highway
4.3 mi
5m
US 60 Business
1.2 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
US 60
— 203.2 mi, about 3h 58m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Kansas City, MO and Bernie, 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
0.3 mi·41 sec·Charlotte Street
4
Turn left onto East Truman Road
395 ft·11 sec·East Truman Road
5
Turn right onto Campbell Street
68 ft·1 sec·Campbell Street
6
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·27 sec
Toward US 71 South: Joplin
7
Merge onto US 71
37 mi·44 min·Bruce R. Watkins Drive
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit onto MO 7
0.2 mi·19 sec·MO 7
Exit 157Toward MO 7 South: Clinton
9
Turn slight left onto MO 7
55 mi·1 hr 3 min·MO 7
Exit 157Toward MO 7 South: ClintonUse the left lane.
10
Continue on MO 13
68 mi·1 hr 19 min·MO 13
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi·23 sec
Toward I 44 East: Rolla, Saint Louis
12
Merge onto I 44
4.3 mi·5 min·Payne Stewart Highway
13
Take the exit
0.4 mi·49 sec
Exit 82AToward US 65 South: Branson
14
Merge onto US 65
8.3 mi·10 min·Schoolcraft Freeway
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi·52 sec
Toward US 60 East: Cabool
16
Merge onto US 60
82 mi·1 hr 35 min·US 60
17
Keep slight left at fork onto US 60
90 mi·1 hr 46 min·US 60
Toward US 60 East: Mountain View, Poplar Bluff
18
Keep slight right at fork onto US 60
4.8 mi·6 min·US 60
19
Turn straight onto US 60 Business; US 67 Business
0.2 mi·14 sec·North Westwood Boulevard
20
Turn slight left
274 ft·12 sec
21
Turn left onto MO W
0.1 mi·16 sec·MO W
22
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·26 sec
23
Merge onto US 60
26 mi·29 min·US 60
24
Take the exit
0.2 mi·27 sec
Toward Dexter
25
Turn right onto North One Mile Road
0.3 mi·53 sec·North One Mile Road
26
Turn left onto US 60 Business
1.2 mi·2 min·US 60 Business
27
At end of road, turn right onto MO 25
9.2 mi·13 min·MO 25
28
Arrive at destination
MO 25
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 195 miles from Kansas City, MO, or about 3h 50m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 203.2 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 86 miles or 1h 41m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 195 miles or 3h 50m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 6h 29m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Bernie, 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.
+
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Kansas City, MO
This is one driving day of about 390 miles and 7h 44m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 86 miles from Kansas City, MO.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on US 60 for about 203.2 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 195 mi from Kansas City, MO
· 3h 50m into the drive
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Wilson's Creek National Battlefield
National Battlefield
Wilson's Creek was the first major Civil War battle fought west of the Mississippi River, and where the first Union general was killed in action. The costly Southern victory on August 10, 1861, focuse...
10 mi from route
~26 min detour
Free
near mile 174.8
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$60.97 one way
$121.94 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg137 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$66.94
$133.89
premium
$4.89
$75.05
$150.10
diesel
$5.61
$86.11
$172.21
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$61
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$86–$111
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 136.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $41 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
117
1
$40.95
$18.72
Efficient EV
97.5
1
$34.13
$15.60
EV Truck/SUV
156
1
$54.60
$24.96
Gas CO2
136 kg
EV CO2
46 kg (66% 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 16, 2026
Origin
Kansas City, MO
Morning
in Kansas City on Friday
Local time
11:36 AM
CDT
Current temp
83°F
Sunny
SSW 3 to 10 mph2% chanceLive forecast
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued April 16 at 1:50PM CDT until April 16 at 2:30PM CDT by NWS Springfield MO
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued April 16 at 1:48PM CDT by NWS Springfield MO
Destination
Bernie, MO
Morning
in Bernie on Friday
Local time
11:36 AM
CDT
Current temp
81°F
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
WSW 8 to 12 mph64% chanceLive forecast
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued April 16 at 1:50PM CDT until April 16 at 2:30PM CDT by NWS Springfield MO
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued April 16 at 1:48PM CDT by NWS Springfield 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
7h 44m 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 Kansas City, MO to Bernie, MO covers 390 miles and takes about 7h 44m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are US 60, MO 13, MO 7. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 195 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 $60.97 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 2 meaningful breaks 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 22 significant decision points across 390 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: near the start (East 12th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (Campbell Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (US 71 / Bruce R. Watkins Drive): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Kansas City, MO and Bernie, MO, road signs point toward Saint Louis and Poplar Bluff.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Wilson's Creek National Battlefield.
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.
