Monett to Joplin is 39.4 miles and takes about 1 hour 4 minutes via North Central Avenue and I 44 Business, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Midwest region of Missouri, offering a straightforward drive between two local communities. It's a practical option if you're looking for a quick transit or a simple way to connect these two points without a significant time commitment. Consider this route for its ease and directness.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 4m. Total distance: 39.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 4m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a turn-heavy local drive for this 39.4-mile journey between Monett and Joplin. With only 23% of the route on highways, you'll navigate mostly local roads, including stretches of North Central Avenue and I 44 Business. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 17.4 miles on North Central Avenue, giving you a sense of the local driving experience before you reach the highway portions. This profile suggests a drive with frequent changes in direction and pace.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
North Central Avenue is the longest continuous segment at about 17.4 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 17.4 miles in near I 44 Business; MO 37 / High Street.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 4m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 17.4 miles (I 44 Business; MO 37 / High Street): Navigation decision point; at 20.2 miles: Navigation decision point; at 30.8 miles (I 44 Business; MO 66): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
17.4 mi into trip|~30m in|I 44 Business; MO 37 / High Street
Turn left onto I 44 Business; MO 37 / High Street
Navigation decision point
5
20.2 mi into trip|~35m in
Take the ramp toward I 44 West: Joplin
Navigation decision point
Toward I 44 West: Joplin
8
30.8 mi into trip|~47m in|I 44 Business; MO 66
Take the exit onto I 44 Business; MO 66 toward I 44 Business, MO 66: Duenweg, Joplin
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / right lanes.
Exit 15
Toward I 44 Business, MO 66: Duenweg, Joplin
5
39.4 mi into trip|~1h 4m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
5
39.4 mi into trip|~1h 4m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
North Central Avenue
17.4 mi
30m
Congressman Gene Taylor Highway
10.4 mi
11m
I 44 Business
9.1 mi
18m
Blackberry Road
2 mi
3m
High Street
0.3 mi
<1m
South Main Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
West Cleveland Avenue
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
North Central Avenue
— 17.4 mi, about 30m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Monett, MO and Joplin, MO.
1
Start on West Cleveland Avenue
93 ft·9 sec·West Cleveland Avenue
2
Turn left onto MO 37
17 mi·30 min·North Central Avenue
3
Turn left onto I 44 Business; MO 37
0.3 mi·26 sec·High Street
4
Continue on I 44 Business; MO 37
2.0 mi·3 min·Blackberry Road
5
Turn right onto I 44 Business; MO 37
0.5 mi·1 min·I 44 Business; MO 37
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·32 sec
Toward I 44 West: Joplin
7
Merge onto I 44
10 mi·11 min·Congressman Gene Taylor Highway
8
Take the exit onto I 44 Business; MO 66
8.5 mi·17 min·I 44 Business; MO 66
Exit 15Toward I 44 Business, MO 66: Duenweg, JoplinUse the straight / right lanes.
9
Turn right onto US Historic 66; MO 43
156 ft·7 sec·South Main Street
10
Turn right
60 ft·6 sec
11
Turn right
83 ft·6 sec
12
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 19.7 mi from Monett, MO
· 34m into the drive
The midpoint is around 19.7 miles from Monett, MO, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Joplin, MO
The final approach into Joplin, MO usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.16 one way
$12.32 round trip
$3.97/gal25.4 MPG avg14 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.36
$6.76
$13.53
premium
$4.89
$7.58
$15.16
diesel
$5.61
$8.70
$17.40
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging
· 0 stops
· 64% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
11.8
0
$4.14
$1.89
Efficient EV
9.9
0
$3.45
$1.58
EV Truck/SUV
15.8
0
$5.52
$2.52
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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 18, 2026
Origin
Monett, MO
Morning
in Monett on Saturday
Local time
6:54 AM
CDT
Current temp
44°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
N 16 mph88% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 18 at 2:43AM CDT by NWS St Louis MO
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 18 at 2:07AM CDT until April 19 at 5:30PM CDT by NWS Springfield MO
Destination
Joplin, MO
Morning
in Joplin on Saturday
Local time
6:54 AM
CDT
Current temp
57°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
13 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 4m 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 Monett, MO to Joplin, MO covers 39.4 miles and takes about 1h 4m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are North Central Avenue, Congressman Gene Taylor Highway, I 44 Business. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 19.7 miles from Monett, MO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.16 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 straightforward 1h 4m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 17.4 miles (I 44 Business; MO 37 / High Street): Navigation decision point; at 20.2 miles: Navigation decision point; at 30.8 miles (I 44 Business; MO 66): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Monett, MO to Joplin, MO does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include George Washington Carver National Monument.
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.
