Road trips are an American tradition. Instead of planning a trip with an agent, people jump in their cars and look for fun on their own. Kansas City's spot in the middle of the country means you can point the car in almost any direction and hit something worth the drive within three or four hours, from Ozark castle ruins to one of the world's best zoos.
If you don't already have a destination in mind, we have some top-notch suggestions for a trip you'll never forget. These six road trips from Kansas City come with stops that make the drive part of the fun.
Ha Ha Tonka and Lake of the Ozarks (155 miles, about 2 hr 45 min)
The drive takes under three hours on MO-7, and Clinton makes a good first stop as the western trailhead of the Katy Trail. Warsaw comes next, right at the Truman Dam, where the visitor center overlooks Truman Lake. Sedalia is an eastern detour featuring the restored Katy Depot that also hosts the popular Missouri State Fair every August.
Ha Ha Tonka State Park is just south of Camdenton, where the stone ruins of a castle built by a Kansas City businessman in the early 1900s stand on a bluff 250 feet above the lake. Short trails lead to a natural bridge, a spring that pours out 48 million gallons a day, and a sinkhole the size of a stadium, all for free. From there, it's a quick drive to Osage Beach and the Bagnell Dam Strip for boat rentals, arcades, and lakefront dinners at spots like Backwater Jack's.
Branson and Springfield, MO (165 miles, about 2 hr 50 min)
MO-13 runs straight south through Clinton and Bolivar, and Springfield is just under three hours out from Kansas City. Stop in Osceola, where Osceola Cheese has been handing out free samples since the 1940s. After another half-hour in the car, stretch your legs on Bolivar's historic square, where you can see the statue of Simón Bolívar that was a gift from Venezuela.
Springfield calls itself the birthplace of Route 66 and is home to the original Bass Pro Shops and the Wonders of Wildlife, a huge aquarium and natural history museum next door. Order cashew chicken while you're in town, since the Springfield-style version was invented here, and save an hour for Fantastic Caverns just north of the city, the only cave in North America you can ride through on a tram.
Branson is another 45 minutes down US-65. It's a destination in its own right, with Silver Dollar City, an 1880s theme park with wooden coasters and working craftsmen, the 76 Strip shows, the Titanic Museum, and Table Rock Lake.
St. Louis, MO (250 miles, about 3 hr 45 min)
Reaching St. Louis via I-70 east takes about three and a half hours, with Arrow Rock, a preserved 1800s village, a short detour north of the highway. Columbia marks the halfway point with the University of Missouri, a lively downtown, Shakespeare's Pizza, and the Devil's Icebox cave trail at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park.
In St. Louis, ride the tram to the top of the Gateway Arch, then spend an afternoon in Forest Park, where the zoo, art museum, and science center are all free. City Museum, a former shoe factory turned ten-story playground, also deserves a few hours. Grab toasted ravioli on The Hill and frozen custard at Ted Drewes. You can even catch a St. Louis Cardinals game at Busch Stadium.
Bentonville and Northwest Arkansas (210 miles, about 3 hr 30 min)
A trip to Bentonville, Arkansas via I-49 south takes about three and a half hours, with Route 66 towns along the way. Carthage has a grand courthouse square and the 66 Drive-In, and Joplin has downtown murals and Grand Falls, the largest continuously flowing waterfall in Missouri.
Once you reach your destination, Bentonville's Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is free to enter. It boasts galleries built over spring-fed ponds and miles of trails through the woods. Downtown has the Walmart Museum and plenty of restaurants. Mountain bikers flock here for the Slaughter Pen and Coler trails. Fayetteville and the Victorian streets of Eureka Springs are each less than an hour away if you want to keep exploring after you reach Bentonville.
The Flint Hills and Wichita (200 miles, about 3 hr)
Wichita is about three hours southwest of Kansas City on I-35, but you can exit at Emporia and follow the K-177 Flint Hills Scenic Byway through some of the last tallgrass prairie in North America. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve near Strong City has more than 40 miles of free trails where you might spot the bison herd, and Cottonwood Falls is a few minutes farther, with its 1873 limestone courthouse, the oldest still in use in Kansas.
In Wichita, start at the Keeper of the Plains, a 44-foot steel sculpture where the city's two rivers meet, lit by fire pots each night, then head to Old Town for breweries and restaurants, or to Exploration Place and the Sedgwick County Zoo. Stock up on candy at the Nifty Nut House before the drive home.
Omaha, NE (185 miles, about 3 hr)
Getting to Omaha via I-29 north is a trip that runs about three hours. St. Joseph is worth a first stop for the Pony Express National Museum and the Jesse James Home, where the outlaw was shot by another member of his notorious gang in 1882. Farther north, Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge near Mound City draws hundreds of thousands of snow geese and dozens of bald eagles each spring and fall. It's a perfect stop for birders and anyone who appreciates seeing animals in the wild.
In Omaha, start at the Henry Doorly Zoo, often ranked among the world's best for its indoor rainforest and desert dome, then walk the brick streets of the Old Market for dinner. The Joslyn Art Museum reopened in 2024 with a new glass pavilion and free admission, and the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge lets you stand in Nebraska and Iowa at the same time.
Your Home Base in Kansas City
If you're looking for your home base in Kansas City, check out Monarch's 12 communities around Kansas City, MO. With locations in the Northland, south Kansas City, Grandview, Overland Park, and Lenexa, there's a community minutes from I-70, I-35, I-29, and I-49 for an easy start to these road trips from Kansas City. They're also conveniently located for your daily commute!
Each community offers 1, 2, and 3-bedroom Kansas City Apartments with energy-efficient appliances, granite-inspired countertops, shaker cabinetry, hardwood-style flooring, walk-in closets, and a patio or balcony. Residents enjoy resort-style swimming pools, fitness centers, walking trails, grill stations, bark parks, and clubhouses, with grounds kept up by on-site teams. Schedule a tour today and find the perfect home for you in Kansas City!