Boston to St Louis road trip: Drive time, distance & best stops

The best road trip stops on the Boston to St Louis drive are Niagara Falls, Cleveland and Indianapolis. The distance from Boston to St Louis by car is 1,191 miles, with a 17h20m driving time.

Planning a Boston to St Louis road trip itinerary

A Boston to St Louis road trip connects the historic capital of Massachusetts to the Mississippi River in Missouri.

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.

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 tours, true 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.

Boston to St Louis distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Boston to St Louis is 1,191 miles. That makes for a driving time of around 17 hours and 20 minutes. The quickest route goes along the I-90, I-71 and I-70.

The best road trip stops on the Boston to St Louis drive are Niagara Falls, Cleveland and Indianapolis.

Boston to St Louis road trip attractions: 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.

Best stops between Boston and St Louis: Cleveland, Ohio

There are many strong attractions in Cleveland, including the Cleveland History Center. But the big stand out is the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. It’s an extremely reverent trawl through rock ‘n roll history, looking at the origins and development of the genre. There’s a massive amount of memorabilia, with sections devoted to several Hall of Fame inductees.

The Rock N Roll Hall of Fame is dense, detailed and capable of sucking up the best part of a day.

Alternatively, Cleveland tour options focus on neighbourhood food scenes, the city’s best craft breweries and Downtown’s public art.