Denver to Springfield MO drive: Best stops, time & distance

The best road trip stops on the Denver to Springfield MO drive are Colby KS, Abilene KS and Kansas City. The distance from Denver to Springfield MO by car is 763 miles, with a 11h11m driving time.

Planning a Denver to Springfield MO road trip itinerary

The Denver to Springfield MO drive takes you from the capital of Colorado to the heart of the Ozarks in Missouri.

Top Denver experiences include Rocky Mountain National Park day tours, downtown Denver food tours and chilling guided ghost walks around the Cheeseman Park cemetery.

Springfield is the third biggest city in Missouri, and packs an impressive amount in. Top of most visitor’s lists is the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium. The aquarium is the best section, but the rest is a quirky celebration of model animals. It flits from penguins in the Antarctic to elephants on the African savanna.

Other options include the Route 66 Car Museum, the Dickerson Park Zoo, the Mizumoto Japanese Garden and craft beer tours.

For something totally bizarre, head to the Pythian Castle, built in 1913 by an order of knights. You can visit on a history tour or a nighttime ghost tour.

Denver to Springfield MO distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Denver to Springfield MO is 763 miles. That makes for a driving time of around 11 hours and 11 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-70, before heading down the I-49, MO-7 and MO-13.

The best stops to add to a Denver to Springfield MO road trip itinerary are Colby KS, Abilene KS and Kansas City.

Denver to Springfield MO road trip attractions: The Prairie Museum

The collection at the Prairie Museum of Art and History in Colby, Kansas, is eclectic but not especially gripping. You can expect dolls, ceramics, furniture and plenty of local history.

Where the museum comes into its own is the outdoor section, where a succession of old buildings have been brought together. The two main highlights are the cute little church and the absolutely enormous barn, which is proudly billed as the biggest barn in Kansas.

Denver to Springfield MO drive: Dwight D Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum

The small town of Abilene, Kansas, gave America one of its great generals and presidents. Dwight D Eisenhower’s boyhood home is now part of his Presidential Library and Museum.

As with most of these presidential libraries, the museum section doesn’t just cover the former president’s life and work – it acts as a snapshot of the historic period he lived through.

Best stops on the Denver to Springfield MO drive: Kansas City

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.