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Trip from Taos, MO to Saint Joseph, MO

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

Drive Time

26m

Distance

14.2 mi

23 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 24m ★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 25m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Taos, MO, MO

Taos, MO

Valeria Boltneva

city in and county seat of Buchanan County, Missouri, United States

Saint Joseph, MO

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This short, 14.2-mile drive from Taos, MO to Saint Joseph, MO takes about 26 minutes and is perfect for a quick trip. With 63% of the route on highways, it offers a straightforward journey through the Midwest. The estimated fuel cost is a budget-friendly $2, making it an economical option. Since it's such a brief distance, this route is ideal as a single-day excursion with no need for an overnight stay. You'll spend most of your time on MO 371, MO CC, and I 229, experiencing a practical drive that gets you to your destination efficiently.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 26m. Total distance: 14.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

26m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (63%). Straightforward navigation.

Drive Character

This drive is primarily highway-focused, with 63% of the mileage featuring faster roads like I 229. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 5.9 miles on MO 371, offering a good opportunity to settle in. While not an entirely monotonous interstate experience, the majority of your time will be spent on these more direct routes. The road generally maintains a consistent character, prioritizing efficient travel over winding scenic byways. Expect a smooth, predictable drive as you navigate between these Missouri towns.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 11 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
MO 371 is the longest continuous segment at about 5.9 miles.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

1,136 ft 854 ft

Total Climb

136 ft

Total Descent

313 ft

Highest Point

1,136 ft

~5.1 mi in

Elevation Range

283 ft

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on MO 371 and MO CC. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near MO CC.

Driving Effort 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 26m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (MO CC): Navigation decision point; at 10 miles: Navigation decision point; at 13.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 6 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

4
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | MO CC

Turn right onto MO CC

Navigation decision point

4
10 mi into trip | ~20m in

Take the ramp toward I 229 North: Saint Joseph

Navigation decision point

Toward I 229 North: Saint Joseph
5
13.3 mi into trip | ~24m in

Take the exit toward Central Business District

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Exit 6A Toward Central Business District
4
14 mi into trip | ~26m in | I 29 Business / South 10th Street

Turn left onto I 29 Business / South 10th Street

Navigation decision point

4
14.1 mi into trip | ~26m in | I 29 Business / Frederick Avenue

Turn right onto I 29 Business / Frederick Avenue

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 Saint Joseph, MO, road signs begin pointing toward Business District along the way.

Business District

13.3 mi in | ~24m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
MO 371 5.9 mi 10m
MO CC 4.1 mi 9m
I 229 3.1 mi 3m
Edmond Street 0.5 mi <1m
South 10th Street 0.2 mi <1m
Frederick Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
Walter Welsh Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
Southeast Taos Road <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: MO 371 — 5.9 mi, about 10m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Taos, MO and Saint Joseph, MO.

1

Start on Southeast Taos Road

18 ft · 2 sec · Southeast Taos Road
2

Turn right onto MO CC

4.1 mi · 9 min · MO CC
3

Turn straight onto MO 371

5.9 mi · 10 min · MO 371
4

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 22 sec
Toward I 229 North: Saint Joseph
5

Merge onto I 229

3.1 mi · 3 min · I 229
6

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 33 sec
Exit 6A Toward Central Business District
7

Continue on Edmond Street

0.5 mi · 57 sec · Edmond Street
8

Turn left onto I 29 Business

0.2 mi · 20 sec · South 10th Street
9

Turn right onto I 29 Business

379 ft · 6 sec · Frederick Avenue
10

Turn slight right onto Walter Welsh Avenue

137 ft · 2 sec · Walter Welsh Avenue
11

Arrive at destination

Walter Welsh Avenue

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.22 one way

$4.44 round trip

$3.97/gal 25.4 MPG avg 5 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.36 $2.44 $4.87
premium $4.89 $2.73 $5.47
diesel $5.61 $3.14 $6.27

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 4.3 0 $1.49 $0.68
Efficient EV 3.6 0 $1.24 $0.57
EV Truck/SUV 5.7 0 $1.99 $0.91

Gas CO2

5 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (60% 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 13, 2026

Origin

Taos, MO

Late night in Taos on Saturday

Local time

12:24 AM

CDT

Current temp

80°F

Partly Sunny

SSW 22 mph 8% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 12 at 9:46PM CDT until April 18 at 1:00PM CDT by NWS St Louis MO

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 12 at 9:46PM CDT until April 20 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS St Louis MO

Destination

Saint Joseph, MO

Late night in Saint Joseph on Saturday

Local time

12:24 AM

CDT

Current temp

74°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

6 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

26m 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 Saint Joseph, MO covers 14.2 miles and takes about 26m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are MO 371, MO CC, I 229. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 7.1 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 $2.22 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 26m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

The main spots that need attention: near the start (MO CC): Navigation decision point; at 10 miles: Navigation decision point; at 13.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.

On the drive from Taos, MO to Saint Joseph, MO, road signs begin pointing toward Business District along the way.

Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 854 ft to 1,136 ft elevation with about 136 ft of total climbing.

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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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