Origin
Taos, MO
Late night in Taos on Saturday
Local time
2:05 AM
CDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Taos, MO to East Independence, MO
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 14m
Distance
54 mi
87 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 9m
★
6 AM
1h 15m
8 AM
1h 26m
10 AM
1h 19m
12 PM
1h 18m
3 PM
1h 19m
5 PM
1h 26m
8 PM
1h 11m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Taos, MO
Valeria Boltneva
East Independence, MO
Momo King
Trip Overview
The drive from Taos, MO to East Independence, MO covers 54 miles and takes about 1h 14m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 29, MO 291, Alexander Doniphan Memorial Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 21 miles on I 29. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.44 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 14m. Total distance: 54 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 14m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (66%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 1h 14m highway drive covering 54 miles, with most of the trip on I 29 and MO 291. The longest continuous stretch is about 21 miles on I 29.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 19 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 21 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 29 and MO 291. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.5 miles in near MO 116 / Southeast 116 Highway.
Driving Effort
7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 54 miles you will encounter 14 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.5 miles (MO 116 / Southeast 116 Highway): Navigation decision point; at 19.9 miles (I 29; I 435; US 71): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 22.2 miles (I 29; US 71): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 14 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
1.5 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
MO 116 / Southeast 116 Highway
Turn left onto MO 116 / Southeast 116 Highway
Navigation decision point
5
19.9 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
I 29; I 435; US 71
Merge onto I 29; I 435; US 71
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
22.2 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
I 29; US 71
Keep slight left at fork onto I 29; US 71 toward I 29 South, US 71 South: Kansas City
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 29 South, US 71 South: Kansas City
7
27.9 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Take the exit toward MO 152 East: Liberty
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Exit 9A
Toward MO 152 East: Liberty
5
54 mi into trip
|
~1h 14m in
|
East 9th Street South
Turn right onto East 9th Street South
Navigation decision point
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Taos, MO to East Independence, MO, road signs begin pointing toward Liberty along the way.
Liberty
39.6 mi in
|
~50m
|
via West Kansas Street
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 29 | 21 mi | 22m |
| MO 291 | 11.7 mi | 17m |
| Alexander Doniphan Memorial Highway | 10.9 mi | 12m |
| MO 371 | 3.1 mi | 5m |
| Southeast 116 Highway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| MO CC | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| East Truman Road | 1.4 mi | 3m |
| West Kansas Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
I 29
— 21 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Taos, MO and East Independence, MO.
1
Start on Southeast Taos Road
18 ft
·
5 sec
·
Southeast Taos Road
2
Turn left onto MO CC
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
MO CC
3
Turn left onto MO 116
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Southeast 116 Highway
4
Turn right onto MO 371
3.1 mi
·
5 min
·
MO 371
5
Turn left onto MO H
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
MO H
6
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Toward I 29 South, US 71 South: Kansas City
7
Merge onto I 29; US 71
13 mi
·
13 min
·
I 29; US 71
8
Merge onto I 29; I 435; US 71
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
I 29; I 435; US 71
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork onto I 29; US 71
5.7 mi
·
6 min
·
I 29; US 71
Toward I 29 South, US 71 South: Kansas City
Use the slight right lane.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
47 sec
Exit 9A
Toward MO 152 East: Liberty
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Merge onto MO 152
11 mi
·
12 min
·
Alexander Doniphan Memorial Highway
12
Continue on MO 152
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
·
Northeast Barry Road
13
Continue on West Kansas Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
West Kansas Street
Toward Liberty
14
Turn right onto MO 291
12 mi
·
17 min
·
MO 291
15
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
52 sec
Toward East Truman Road
16
Turn left onto East Truman Road
1.4 mi
·
3 min
·
East Truman Road
17
Turn left onto Main Road
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Road
18
Turn right onto East 9th Street South
79 ft
·
3 sec
·
East 9th Street South
19
Arrive at destination
East 9th Street South
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 27 mi from Taos, MO · 35m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
27 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 27 miles from Taos, MO, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in East Independence, MO
The final approach into East Independence, 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
$8.44 one way
$16.88 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $9.27 | $18.54 |
| premium | $4.89 | $10.39 | $20.78 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.92 | $23.85 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.2 | 0 | $5.67 | $2.59 |
| Efficient EV | 13.5 | 0 | $4.73 | $2.16 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21.6 | 0 | $7.56 | $3.46 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (68% 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.
Destination
East Independence, MO
Late night in East Independence on Saturday
Local time
2:05 AM
CDT
Current temp
83°F
Sunny
S 10 mph
2% chance
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
35 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 14m 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 Taos, MO to East Independence, MO covers 54 miles and takes about 1h 14m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 29, MO 291, Alexander Doniphan Memorial Highway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 27 miles from Taos, MO. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $8.44 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 54 miles you will encounter 14 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.5 miles (MO 116 / Southeast 116 Highway): Navigation decision point; at 19.9 miles (I 29; I 435; US 71): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 22.2 miles (I 29; US 71): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Taos, MO to East Independence, MO, road signs begin pointing toward Liberty along the way.
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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