Kansas City to St. Louis distance
Kansas City and St. Louis are 238 miles (384 km) apart in a straight line and 248 miles (400 km) apart by road: about 4 hr 45 min of driving without stops, mostly on I-70 and I-64. Below you’ll find the route map, both halfway points, the bearing and where every figure comes from.
By the All Map Tools Team
- By road
- 248 mi (400 km)
- Driving time
- 4 hr 45 min
- Straight line
- 238 mi (384 km)
- Driving route
- Straight line
- Straight-line midpoint
- Halfway by road
Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection centered on the midpoint. Route: FOSSGIS OSRM with data © OpenStreetMap contributors, calculated on November 1, 2026; simplified line.
The figures
| Figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Straight line | 238 mi (384 km) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 248 mi (400 km) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 4 hr 45 min no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +4% 1.04 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 53 mph (85 km/h) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 96° (east) leaving Kansas City toward St. Louis |
| Midpoint | 38.8840° N, 92.3810° W near Pierpont (Missouri) |
| Halfway by road | Near Pierpont (Missouri) 124 mi from each city by road |
| Time difference | None both share the same time |
| Elevation | Kansas City: 898 ft (274 m) · St. Louis: 464 ft (141 m) USGS 3DEP |
| Population | Kansas City: 521,220 · St. Louis: 278,144 Census Bureau estimate for 2025 |
Kansas City to St. Louis by road
The fastest driving route is 248 miles (400 km) long and takes about 4 hr 45 min without stops or traffic. It runs mostly on I-70 (208 mi) and I-64 (39.1 mi).
The whole route stays in Missouri. That’s an average of 53 mph (85 km/h). AAA recommends a break every two hours or 100 miles: with 2 stops of 20 minutes, the trip takes about 5 hr 25 min. The time is OSRM’s estimate with OpenStreetMap data: no traffic and speeds somewhat below the limits, so real trips can differ.
Straight-line distance and bearing
In a straight line, the shortest distance over the Earth’s surface, Kansas City and St. Louis are 238 miles (384 km) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”.
The road is 4% longer: for every 100 miles in a straight line you drive 104. The route runs almost straight. Of the 110 US driving pairs in this series, it ranks 109th for detour (the average is 16%).
From Kansas City, St. Louis lies to the east (bearing 96°), and from St. Louis, Kansas City lies to the west. The straight line reaches St. Louis on a bearing of 99°: on a sphere the bearing keeps changing along the way, which is why the shortest route looks slightly curved on a flat map.
Halfway between Kansas City and St. Louis
Halfway along the straight line, 119 miles (192 km) from each city, is the point 38.8840° N, 92.3810° W. It falls near Pierpont (Missouri, pop. 68), 3.9 mi away.
By road, the halfway point is 124 miles (200 km) from each city, near Pierpont (Missouri, pop. 68), 7.5 mi away. The two midpoints are 6.3 mi apart: if you want to meet halfway, the one on the road is the useful one.
Time zone and flight
Kansas City and St. Louis share the same time all year: both are on Central Time.
No flight time is given: under 500 km (311 miles) in a straight line, time at the airport outweighs time in the air.
The two cities
Kansas City sits at 898 ft (274 m) and St. Louis at 464 ft (141 m), 434 ft (132 m) lower.
Kansas City has 521,220 people and St. Louis 278,144 people (Census Bureau estimate for 2025).
Frequently asked questions
How many miles is it from Kansas City to St. Louis?
238 miles (384 km) in a straight line and 248 miles (400 km) by road on the fastest route (mostly on I-70 and I-64).
How long is the drive from Kansas City to St. Louis?
About 4 hr 45 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 2 stops of 20 minutes, about 5 hr 25 min.
Where is the halfway point between Kansas City and St. Louis?
In a straight line, near Pierpont (Missouri). By road, 124 mi from each city, near Pierpont (Missouri).
Are Kansas City and St. Louis in the same time zone?
Yes: both are on Central Time all year.
Which city is higher, Kansas City or St. Louis?
Kansas City, at 898 ft (274 m); St. Louis sits at 464 ft (141 m).
Measure it yourself on the map
The same two cities, already set up in the tools: move the points, get the route by bike or on foot and download the map.
- Distance between two points Measure the distance between any two places or points on the map, in miles or kilometers.
- Straight line vs driving distance Compare the as-the-crow-flies distance with the real driving distance and see how much the road adds.
- Halfway point Find the exact halfway point between two places and see it on the map, ready to share.
More distances from Kansas City
All distancesMore distances from St. Louis
Sources
- Driving route: FOSSGIS OSRM, car profile (calculated on November 1, 2026) · FOSSGIS e.V.
- Roads, streets and places · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Straight line, bearings and midpoint (geodesics on the WGS84 ellipsoid) · GeographicLib (C. F. F. Karney)
- US city centers (GNIS) and their elevation (3DEP) · USGS (public domain)
- Population estimates, Vintage 2025 · US Census Bureau (public domain)
- Places near the midpoints: All Map Tools gazetteer (GeoNames, INE, IGN and Census) · All Map Tools
- Time zones (timezone-boundary-builder outlines and the IANA database) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Map: provinces (IGN), states (US Census Bureau) and countries (Natural Earth) · IGN, Census and Natural Earth
- Methodology