Chicago to St. Louis distance
Chicago and St. Louis are 260 miles (418 km) apart in a straight line and 295 miles (474 km) apart by road: about 5 hr 35 min of driving without stops, mostly on I-55. Below you’ll find the route map, both halfway points, the bearing and where every figure comes from.
By the Mapsfera Team
- By road
- 295 mi (474 km)
- Driving time
- 5 hr 35 min
- Straight line
- 260 mi (418 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 October 31, 2026; simplified line.
The figures
| Figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Straight line | 260 mi (418 km) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 295 mi (474 km) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 5 hr 35 min no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +13% 1.13 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 53 mph (85 km/h) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 212° (southwest) leaving Chicago toward St. Louis |
| Midpoint | 40.2459° N, 88.9542° W near Wapella (Illinois) |
| Halfway by road | Near McLean (Illinois) 147 mi from each city by road |
| Time difference | None both share the same time |
| Elevation | Chicago: 588 ft (179 m) · St. Louis: 464 ft (141 m) USGS 3DEP |
| Population | Chicago: 2,731,585 · St. Louis: 278,144 Census Bureau estimate for 2025 |
Chicago to St. Louis by road
The fastest driving route is 295 miles (474 km) long and takes about 5 hr 35 min without stops or traffic. Almost all of it is on I-55: 292 mi of 295 mi.
The whole route stays in Illinois. 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 6 hr 15 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, Chicago and St. Louis are 260 miles (418 km) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”.
The road is 13% longer: for every 100 miles in a straight line you drive 113. That’s a normal detour between two cities. Of the 40 US pairs in this series, it ranks 20th for detour (the average is 14%).
From Chicago, St. Louis lies to the southwest (bearing 212°), and from St. Louis, Chicago lies to the northeast.
Halfway between Chicago and St. Louis
Halfway along the straight line, 130 miles (209 km) from each city, is the point 40.2459° N, 88.9542° W. It falls near Wapella (Illinois, pop. 497), 1.7 mi away.
By road, the halfway point is 147 miles (237 km) from each city, near McLean (Illinois, pop. 733), 1.4 mi away. The two midpoints are 11.9 mi apart: if you want to meet halfway, the one on the road is the useful one.
Time zone and flight
Chicago 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
Chicago sits at 588 ft (179 m) and St. Louis at 464 ft (141 m), 124 ft (38 m) lower.
Chicago has 2.7 million people and St. Louis 278,144 people (Census Bureau estimate for 2025).
Frequently asked questions
How many miles is it from Chicago to St. Louis?
260 miles (418 km) in a straight line and 295 miles (474 km) by road on the fastest route (mostly on I-55).
How long is the drive from Chicago to St. Louis?
About 5 hr 35 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 2 stops of 20 minutes, about 6 hr 15 min.
Where is the halfway point between Chicago and St. Louis?
In a straight line, near Wapella (Illinois). By road, 147 mi from each city, near McLean (Illinois).
Are Chicago and St. Louis in the same time zone?
Yes: both are on Central Time all year.
Which direction is St. Louis from Chicago?
Southwest: the straight line leaves Chicago on a bearing of 212° (0° is north and 90° is east).
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 Chicago
All distances- Chicago to Minneapolis 356 mi straight line · 413 mi by road · 7 hr 50 min
- New York to Chicago 714 mi straight line · 790 mi by road · 14 hr 50 min
- Los Angeles to Chicago 1,744 mi straight line · 2,019 mi by road · 35 hr 25 min
- Chicago to Houston 938 mi straight line · 1,085 mi by road · 19 hr 50 min
- Chicago to Detroit 239 mi straight line · 281 mi by road · 5 hr 15 min
- Chicago to Milwaukee 83.1 mi straight line · 90.0 mi by road · 1 hr 55 min
Sources
- Driving route: FOSSGIS OSRM, car profile (calculated on October 31, 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: Mapsfera gazetteer (GeoNames, INE, IGN and Census) · Mapsfera
- 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