Boston to Kansas City road trip: Drive time, distance & best stops

Planning a Boston to Kansas City road trip itinerary

The epic Boston to Kansas City drive takes you from Massachusetts to the Missouri River.

Boston is drenched in history, with the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum a good first stop on the revolutionary trail. Other Boston attractions include the New England Aquarium, the View Boston observation deck and the Fenway Park baseball stadium.

There are also hundreds of Boston tour options, some more distinctive than others. Good choices include walking the Freedom Trail with a historian guide and story-packed tours of the Harvard campus. For a more Italian flavour, try a North End pizza and history tour. On a sunny day, try a sightseeing day sail around Boston Harbor.

If looking for the best Boston accommodation options, pick the Langham for luxury or the Lenox for a slice of cool in the Back Bay neighborhood. The Liberty, meanwhile, is a jaw-dropping conversion of a former prison.

Technically two cities spread over two different states, Kansas City has a rich cultural heritage. The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and American Jazz Museum show this off. Other top attractions include the National World I Memorial and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Good experiences in Kansas City include an indulgent food tour of the city’s best BBQ joints, Segway tours, the Sealife Aquarium and wine-tasting trips.

Memorable Kansas City accommodation includes the colonial-style Truitt Hotel and the stylish, art-filled 21C Museum Hotel.

Boston to Kansas City distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Boston to Kansas City is 1,432 miles. You can expect a driving time of around 21 hours and 15 minutes.

The best road trip stops to add to a Boston to Kansas City road trip itinerary are Niagara Falls, Columbus OH and St Louis.

For more suggestions, read the guides to individual legs of the journey:

Best stops between Boston and Kansas City: Niagara Falls

There are two cities called Niagara Falls, one either side of the infamous waterfall. The city of Niagara Falls, Canada, offers much more for tourists, and is something of a mini-Vegas. You’re better off crossing the border and choosing from a vast array of experiences in Niagara Falls, Canada.

However, for the purposes of this guide, we’ll assume you’re staying in the United States. Things to do in Niagara Falls, New York include the Maid of the Mist boat ride to the base of the falls, a Cave of the Winds highlights package tour and a mobsters tour full of stories that takes in the illuminated falls after dark.

Boston to Kansas City road trip attractions: Columbus, Ohio

In Columbus, a three day attractions pass covers most of the top sights. These include the Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens and the National Veterans Memorial and Museum. For other Columbus experiences, try scavenger hunts, a town tour aboard the Trolley Pub and the Legoland Discovery Center.

Boston to Kansas City drive: St Louis, Missouri

St Louis is one of America’s great crossroads cities. The major landmark is the 630ft-tall Gateway Arch, which visitors can go to the top of. Other top attractions include the Cathedral Basilica of St Louis, the Missouri Botanical Garden and Busch Stadium.

Good St Louis experiences include highlight-packed trolley tourstrue crime walking tours and small group tours that include going to the top of the St Louis Arch and a Mississippi River cruise.

For St Louis accommodation with personality, try the Last Hotel or the Pennywell.

Kansas City, Missouri.
Kansas City, Missouri. Photo by Webherpet/ Pixabay.

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