Here's a sample itinerary for a drive from Chicago to St. Louis. If you're planning a road trip to St. Louis, you can research locations to stop along the way. Make sure you check road conditions to double check the weather. Traveling with a dog or cat? Find pet-friendly stops. Camping along the way? Search for RV campgrounds. Find the best hotels, restaurants, and attractions based on the most talked about places recommended by Trippy members.
11:00 am start in Chicago
drive for about 1.5 hours
12:41 pm Pontiac
stay overnight and leave the next day around 11:00 am
day 1 driving ≈ 1.5 hours
find more stops
11:00 am leave from Pontiac
drive for about 2.5 hours
1:39 pm Carlinville
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 2:39 pm
drive for about 1 hour
3:46 pm arrive in St. Louis
stay at Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch
day 2 driving ≈ 4 hours
Are you going straight to a hotel, or looking for a vacation rental or Airbnb?
The best resource on neighborhoods, areas, and hotels is the Trippy page on where to stay in St. Louis.
If you're looking for a quick answer, you can check out Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch, which was mentioned 3 times on Trippy.
Here are some more hotels people talk about:
Want to research more popular hotels in St. Louis? Click the blue button below.
Need some recommendations on somewhere to get food?
Trippy members suggest Pappy's Smokehouse, which was mentioned 8 times.
Here are some more restaurants people talk about:
Want to research more popular restaurants in St. Louis? Click the blue button below.
This section could be endless, so rather than trying to suggest every local activity or attraction, we'll leave it open-ended.
These are some of the places people talk about on Trippy:
Of course, Trippy is the perfect place to ask questions because there's an entire community of travelers talking to each other and sharing tips and advice. Trippy is where you can get answers personalized for your tastes, budgets, trip dates & more!
For example, here are some questions people have asked about St. Louis. Click on any question to see answers from the community!
Katie from Los Angeles asked:
What is your favorite restaurant in St. Louis? (16 answers)
Gina from Minneapolis asked:
Good St. Louis dines? (6 answers)
Marci from Boston asked:
Great lunch places in St Louis (6 answers)
Cassie from asked:
Good family vacation within 10 hours of St. Louis (not Branson)? (5 answers)
Shelby from Scottsdale asked:
Where are the best places to stay in St. Louis? (5 answers)
Click the button below to explore more questions and answers related to St. Louis.
Yes, even this step is optional, because if you're on vacation who wants the trip to end? It's okay, you can start planning your next trip!
Want to plan the trip back? Get the reverse directions for a St. Louis to Chicago drive, or go to the main page to plan a new road trip.
You can also compare the travel time if you're flying or driving by calculating the distance from Chicago to St. Louis. Or get a full Chicago to St. Louis flight plan.
Don't forget about exploring your own hometown with a staycation. You can also find some cool day trips or get away for a weekend. Maybe try typing in a faraway location like London, Hong Kong, or Sydney, and get inspired for your dream trip around the world.
And if you know Chicago well, please help your fellow travelers and answer their questions about Chicago!