Drive Time
9h 6m
Distance
486.6 mi
783 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
2-day trip
Fuel Cost
$74
one way
Photo: Renegade Lenz
The drive from Saint Joseph, MO to Caruthersville, MO covers 486.6 miles and takes about 9h 6m behind the wheel. It usually feels better as a 2-day road trip than as one long push.
The route leans on North 12th Street, Francis Street, North 9th Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $73.91 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Best split across 2 days
Treat the return leg as its own travel day rather than an afterthought.
Break Rhythm
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
243.3 miles from Saint Joseph, MO
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 4h 33m into the drive .
Expect a 9h 6m drive with frequent turns across 486.6 miles of local and secondary roads.
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.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
The route itself is not hard, but at 9h 6m, endurance matters. Plan breaks every 2-3 hours. The 0 decision points are all manageable with basic attention.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Saint Joseph, MO to Caruthersville, MO is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North 12th Street | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Francis Street | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| North 9th Street | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 229 South | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 29 South | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 435 East | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 70 | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| I 70 East | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Step-by-step road directions between Saint Joseph, MO and Caruthersville, MO.
Start on Walter Welsh Avenue
Turn right onto North 12th Street
Turn right onto Francis Street
Turn left onto North 9th Street
Take the ramp slight right
Merge slight left
Take the exit slight left toward I 229 South, US 59 South: Kansas City
Merge slight left
Keep slight right to continue on I 29 South, US 71 South: Kansas City
Merge slight left
Merge slight right
Keep slight right to continue on I 435 East: Saint Louis
Keep slight right to continue on I 70, US 24 West, US 40: Saint Louis, Kansas City, Sports Complex
Keep slight left to continue on I 70 East: Saint Louis
Keep slight left to continue on I 70 East: Saint Louis
Merge slight left onto George Brett Super Highway
Continue on Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway
Continue on Clifton J. Scott Memorial Highway
Continue on Truman/Eisenhower Presidential Highway
Continue on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Continue on U.S. Submarine Veterans' Memorial Highway
Keep slight left to continue on U.S. Submarine Veterans' Memorial Highway
Continue on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Continue on Highway Patrol Sgt. Benjamin Booth Memorial Highway
Continue on Sheriff Roger I. Wilson Memorial Highway
Continue on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Take the exit slight right toward I 64 East, US 40 East, US 61 South: Chesterfield
Merge slight left onto Avenue of the Saints
Take the exit slight right toward I 270: Chicago, Memphis
Keep slight right to continue on I 270 South: Memphis
Merge slight left
Take the exit slight right toward I 55, US 61, US 67: Saint Louis, Memphis, Lemay Ferry Road
Keep slight right to continue on I 55 South: Memphis
Merge slight left onto Rosa Parks Highway
Continue on Officer Thomas G. Smith, Jr. Memorial Highway
Continue on Police Officer Steven Jarvis Memorial Highway
Take the exit slight right toward MO 84: Hayti, Caruthersville
Turn left
Turn right
Arrive at your destination
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.
Consider an overnight stop or starting very early.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 107 miles or 2h in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 243.3 miles or 4h 33m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Overnight split
Day 1 wrap after about 243.3 miles or 4h 33m
Stop before fatigue turns the last few hours into a grind. You want day two to start fresh, not just resumed.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 7h 59m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Caruthersville, MO than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Saint Joseph, 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.
Treat this as a 2-day road trip and book the overnight stop before the busiest arrival window.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Saint Joseph, MO
Aim for roughly 243 miles and 4.6 hours of wheel time on this day.
Day 2
Finish the approach into Caruthersville, MO
Aim for roughly 243 miles and 4.6 hours of wheel time on this day.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 243.3 mi from Saint Joseph, MO · 4h 33m into the drive
Mid-route town
Overnight candidate
243 mi into the route
Best for: Hotel check-in, dinner, and a fresh start
This lines up well with a realistic day-end stop if you are breaking the drive into stages.
Find hotels in Alton, ILNight 1
243 mi · about 4.6h in
A practical overnight split lands near Alton, IL after about 243 miles or 4.6 hours of driving.
Find hotelsA short stop after about 107 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 243.3 miles from Saint Joseph, MO, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Overnight split
Hotel stopFor a steadier pace, wrap day one after about 243 miles or 4.6 hours on the road.
The final approach into Caruthersville, 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 Caruthersville, MO.
On a multi-day trip, keep the last day a little lighter so you reach Caruthersville, MO with some flexibility left in the schedule.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Regular Gas
$73.91 one way
$147.82 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.25 | $81.48 | $162.95 |
| premium | $4.80 | $91.86 | $183.72 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $108.11 | $216.21 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$74
Hotel (1n)
$80–$140
Meals
$50–$100
Total
$204–$314
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 170.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
Driving Electric?
About $51 in charging · 1 stop · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 146 | 1 | $51.09 | $23.36 |
| Efficient EV | 121.7 | 1 | $42.58 | $19.46 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 194.6 | 2 | $68.12 | $31.14 |
Gas CO2
170 kg
EV CO2
57 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. If you're planning ahead, check the forecast closer to your travel date.
Origin
Late night in Saint Joseph on Sunday
Local time
2:42 AM
CDT
Current temp
45°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Destination
Late night in Caruthersville on Sunday
Local time
2:42 AM
CDT
Current temp
80°F
Forecast unavailable right now
Along the Route
57°F
Alton, IL
243 mi in
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.
For long drives, weather on day two can matter just as much as conditions at departure, so check the whole travel window rather than only the first day.
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
This is long enough that the arrival forecast matters almost as much as departure conditions. Recheck both ends before you roll.
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