The drive from Lee's Summit, MO to Crestwood, MO covers 239.8 miles and takes about 4h 39m 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, Avenue of the Saints for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 135.3 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $37.49 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
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
119.9 miles from Lee's Summit, MO
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 13m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 39m. Total distance: 239.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 39m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 4h 39m drive with frequent turns across 239.8 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 23 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 135.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 9.8 miles in.
Driving Effort10/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 14 significant decision points across 239.8 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: at 9.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 229.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 230.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 14 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
9.8 mi into trip|~14m in
Take the exit toward I 70 East: Saint Louis
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 16B
Toward I 70 East: Saint Louis
8
229.9 mi into trip|~4h 24m in
Take the exit toward I 270: Chicago, Memphis
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 25
Toward I 270: Chicago, Memphis
7
230.2 mi into trip|~4h 24m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 270 South: Memphis
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 270 South: Memphis
8
236.8 mi into trip|~4h 33m in
Take the exit toward I 44 East, US 50 East, MO 366 East: Saint Louis
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 5A
Toward I 44 East, US 50 East, MO 366 East: Sain...
7
237.3 mi into trip|~4h 34m in|US Historic 66
Keep slight right at fork onto US Historic 66 toward MO 366 East: Watson Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward MO 366 East: Watson Road
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
135.3 mi
2h 34m
U.S. Submarine Veterans' Memorial Highway
54.4 mi
58m
Avenue of the Saints
25.1 mi
30m
I 470
7 mi
8m
I 270
6.3 mi
7m
US Historic 66
2.6 mi
5m
Southeast Douglas Street
2.2 mi
4m
Sheriff Roger I. Wilson Memorial Highway
1.9 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 135.3 mi, about 2h 34m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lee's Summit, MO and Crestwood, MO.
1
Start on Southwest 3rd Street
0.3 mi·40 sec·Southwest 3rd Street
2
Continue on Southeast 3rd Street
358 ft·16 sec·Southeast 3rd Street
3
Turn left onto Southeast Douglas Street
2.2 mi·4 min·Southeast Douglas Street
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·28 sec
Toward I 470 North: Independence, Saint Louis
5
Merge onto I 470
7.0 mi·8 min·I 470
Toward I 470 North: Saint Louis
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi·44 sec
Exit 16BToward I 70 East: Saint LouisUse the slight right lane.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Gateway Arch National Park
National Park
Gateway Arch National Park commemorates President Jefferson’s vision of a continental nation, the individuals and cultural groups who helped shape its history, St. Louis’ role in westward expansion, a...
11 mi from route
~29 min detour
$19
near mile 239.8
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $25 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
71.9
0
$25.18
$11.51
Efficient EV
60
0
$20.98
$9.59
EV Truck/SUV
95.9
1
$33.57
$15.35
Gas CO2
84 kg
EV CO2
28 kg (67% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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
Lee's Summit, MO
Late night
in Lee's Summit on Saturday
Local time
1:41 AM
CDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Crestwood, MO
Late night
in Crestwood on Saturday
Local time
1:41 AM
CDT
Current temp
55°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
18 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
4h 39m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Lee's Summit, MO to Crestwood, MO covers 239.8 miles and takes about 4h 39m 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, Avenue of the Saints. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 119.9 miles from Lee's Summit, MO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $37.49 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break 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 14 significant decision points across 239.8 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: at 9.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 229.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 230.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Lee's Summit, MO to Crestwood, 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, EIA for fuel prices, NREL for EV charging, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
