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Trip from Kansas City, MO to Platte City, MO

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

Drive Time

32m

Distance

23.7 mi

38 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 9 min
4 AM
0h 29m ★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 31m

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

city in Missouri, United States, that is one of two county seats of Jackson County and the largest city in Missouri

Kansas City, MO

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Platte City, MO, MO

Platte City, MO

zhou shen

Trip Overview

This short, 23.7-mile journey from Kansas City, MO, to Platte City, MO, is a quick 32-minute drive, perfect for a single day trip. Primarily on I-29, with brief stints on MO 9 and US 169, this route keeps you on the highway for 92% of the way. With a modest fuel cost estimated at $4, it's an economical option for a quick excursion within the Midwest region. Given its brevity and highway-focused profile, you won't need to worry about overnight stays or splitting the trip. It's a straightforward drive that gets you from point A to point B efficiently.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 32m. Total distance: 23.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

32m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (92%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

Expect a highway-focused experience for the majority of this 32-minute drive. With 92% of the route utilizing major highways like I-29, you'll encounter consistent speeds for extended periods. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 16.6 miles on I-29, offering a smooth, albeit potentially monotonous, driving segment. While MO 9 and US 169 are incorporated, they are likely brief transitions within this predominantly interstate journey. The road character remains consistent, prioritizing direct travel over scenic detours.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 29 is the longest continuous segment at about 16.6 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 29 and MO 9. 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 Effort 9/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 23.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (East 12th Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.5 miles (MO 9): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 10 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

6
3.5 mi into trip | ~6m in | MO 9

Keep slight left at fork onto MO 9 toward MO 9 North: Riverside, Parkville

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward MO 9 North: Riverside, Parkville
7
5.9 mi into trip | ~10m in

Take the exit toward I 29 North, US 71 North: K.C.I. Airport, Saint Joseph

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight left lanes. Toward I 29 North, US 71 North: K.C.I. Airport,...
6
20.6 mi into trip | ~27m in | I 29; US 71

Keep slight left at fork onto I 29; US 71 toward I 29 North, US 71 North: Saint Joseph

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 29 North, US 71 North: Saint Joseph
7
22.9 mi into trip | ~30m in

Take the exit toward MO HH

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

Use the right lane. Exit 19 Toward MO HH

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 Platte City, MO, road signs point toward Parkville and Saint Joseph.

Parkville

3.5 mi in | ~6m | via MO 9

Saint Joseph

5.9 mi in | ~10m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 29 16.6 mi 18m
MO 9 3.9 mi 7m
US 169 1.2 mi 1m
Main Street 0.5 mi 1m
Locust Street 0.4 mi <1m
MO HH <0.1 mi <1m
East 12th Street <0.1 mi <1m
Oak Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 29 — 16.6 mi, about 18m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on Oak Street

20 ft · 4 sec · Oak Street
2

Turn right onto East 12th Street

326 ft · 15 sec · East 12th Street
3

Turn left onto Locust Street

0.4 mi · 48 sec · Locust Street
4

Continue on MO 9

3.0 mi · 5 min · MO 9
5

Keep slight left at fork onto MO 9

0.9 mi · 1 min · MO 9
Toward MO 9 North: Riverside, Parkville
6

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 23 sec
Toward US 169 North: Smithville
7

Continue on US 169

1.2 mi · 1 min · US 169
8

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 59 sec
Toward I 29 North, US 71 North: K.C.I. Airport, Saint Joseph Use the straight / slight left lanes.
9

Merge onto I 29; US 71

12 mi · 13 min · I 29; US 71
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Merge onto I 29; I 435; US 71

2.7 mi · 2 min · I 29; I 435; US 71
11

Keep slight left at fork onto I 29; US 71

2.3 mi · 2 min · I 29; US 71
Toward I 29 North, US 71 North: Saint Joseph
12

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 23 sec
Exit 19 Toward MO HH Use the right lane.
13

Turn left onto MO HH

491 ft · 13 sec · MO HH
14

Continue on Main Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · Main Street
15

Arrive at destination

Main Street

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.71 one way

$7.41 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 8 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $4.07 $8.14
premium $4.89 $4.56 $9.12
diesel $5.61 $5.23 $10.47

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 8.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 7.1 0 $2.49 $1.14
Efficient EV 5.9 0 $2.07 $0.95
EV Truck/SUV 9.5 0 $3.32 $1.52

Gas CO2

8 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (63% 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

Kansas City, MO

Late night in Kansas City on Saturday

Local time

12:09 AM

CDT

Current temp

74°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Platte City, MO

Late night in Platte City on Saturday

Local time

12:09 AM

CDT

Current temp

55°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

19 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

32m 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 Kansas City, MO to Platte City, MO covers 23.7 miles and takes about 32m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are I 29, MO 9, US 169. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 11.9 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 $3.71 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 is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 23.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.

The main spots that need attention: near the start (East 12th Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.5 miles (MO 9): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Between Kansas City, MO and Platte City, MO, road signs point toward Parkville and Saint Joseph.

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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Explore More

Return Trip

Platte City, MO to Kansas City, MO

Plan the drive back the other way.

24 mi 31m

Explore more options from Kansas City, MO or browse trips ending in Platte City, MO.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MO road trips.