You're looking at about 1,300 miles. Honestly, it’s a beast of a drive. If you're planning to go from St Louis MO to Salt Lake City UT, you aren't just crossing a few state lines; you're transitioning from the humid, rolling hills of the Mississippi River basin into the high-altitude, craggy drama of the Wasatch Range. It is a long haul.
Most people just want to get it over with. I get that. But if you rush it, you miss the weird, subtle beauty of the American plains and the sudden, aggressive rise of the Rockies. Whether you’re moving for a job at the University of Utah or just taking a massive road trip to see the Great Salt Lake, there is a right way and a very wrong way to do this.
Why I-70 is the Hero (and the Villain) of This Drive
Most GPS units are going to scream at you to take I-70 West. It’s the most direct shot. You’ll cut through the entire width of Missouri, hit Kansas City, and then brace yourself for the long, flat stretches of Kansas.
Kansas gets a bad rap. People call it boring. Actually, the Flint Hills are beautiful if you catch them at sunset, but let's be real—by hour four of seeing nothing but corn and wind turbines, you might start questioning your life choices. The transition from St Louis MO to Salt Lake City UT via I-70 eventually brings you into Colorado. Denver is your halfway point.
Here’s where it gets tricky.
Once you hit Denver, you have to climb. The Eisenhower Tunnel sits at over 11,000 feet. If you’re driving a heavily loaded U-Haul or an older car, this is the part of the trip where your engine might start complaining. The air gets thin. Your brakes will get hot on the way down.
The Wyoming Alternative
Some drivers prefer taking I-29 north out of Kansas City up to I-80. This route takes you through Nebraska and Wyoming. Why do this? It’s flatter. If you’re terrified of mountain passes or driving in snow during the winter months, I-80 through Cheyenne is generally less "vertical" than the Colorado Rockies.
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But watch out for the wind. Wyoming wind is no joke. It can literally blow a high-profile vehicle off the road near Rawlins. You have to check the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) sensors before you commit to this.
Hidden Gems You’ll Actually Want to Stop For
Don’t just eat at McDonald's for three days. You're better than that.
In Kansas City, you have to stop at Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que. It’s in a gas station. Yes, a gas station. Get the Z-Man sandwich. It’s legendary for a reason. Once you leave KC, the food options get sparse until you hit Denver, so fuel up—both the car and yourself.
If you take the I-70 route, make a pit stop at the Kanopolis State Park in Kansas. It’s got these wild mushroom-shaped rock formations that look like they belong on another planet. It’s a great way to stretch your legs and remind yourself that the Earth isn't actually flat.
Entering the High Desert
As you cross into Utah from Colorado or Wyoming, the landscape shifts violently. The green fades into ochre, red, and sagebrush. If you come in via I-80 through Echo Canyon, the red rock walls start to close in. It’s breathtaking.
Salt Lake City isn't just a desert town. It’s an alpine valley. The contrast between the salt flats to the west and the 11,000-foot peaks to the east is jarring. You’ve officially made it.
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The Reality of Logistics and Timing
How long does it take?
Twenty hours. Pure driving time.
If you’re solo, don't try to do this in one sitting. It's dangerous. Split it into two days. Stop in Hays, Kansas, or Denver, Colorado. If you’re pushing for three days, you can actually enjoy the scenery.
Winter Warning: If you are making the trip from St Louis MO to Salt Lake City UT between November and April, you MUST carry tire chains or have snow-rated tires (look for the 3PMSF mountain snowflake symbol). Colorado’s Traction Law is strictly enforced on I-70. If you cause a wreck and don't have the right tires, the fines are massive. Not to mention, you'll be the person everyone is honking at.
Gas and Range Anxiety
Western Kansas and Eastern Colorado have some long stretches between stations. Don’t let your tank drop below a quarter. If you’re driving an EV, I-70 is decently equipped with Electrify America and Tesla Superchargers, but Wyoming’s I-80 corridor is a bit thinner. Plan your stops using an app like A Better Routeplanner (ABRP).
Dealing with Elevation Sickness
St. Louis is basically at sea level. Salt Lake City is at 4,226 feet, and the mountain passes you'll cross are much higher.
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You will get a headache.
You will get dehydrated.
Drink twice as much water as you think you need. Avoid heavy alcohol the first night you arrive in SLC. Your body needs time to produce more red blood cells to handle the lower oxygen levels. If you feel dizzy or nauseous while crossing the Rockies, pull over.
Making the Move? Here’s What to Expect in SLC
If this isn't a vacation and you're actually relocating, the culture shock is real. St. Louis has that classic Midwestern, brick-laden, baseball-obsessed vibe. Salt Lake is all about the "outdoorsy" life. People here don't ask what you do for a living; they ask what you did last weekend in the mountains.
The cost of living in Salt Lake City has spiked recently. Expect to pay significantly more for housing than you did in St. Louis. However, the job market in "Silicon Slopes" (the tech corridor between SLC and Provo) is booming. Companies like Adobe, Vivint, and Overstock have huge footprints here.
Comparing the Cities
- Weather: St. Louis is humid and swampy in the summer. Salt Lake is a "dry heat," which sounds like a cliché until you realize you aren't sweating through your shirt the second you walk outside.
- Transit: St. Louis has the MetroLink, but Salt Lake’s TRAX and FrontRunner systems are exceptionally clean and efficient for a Western city.
- Food: You’ll miss the toasted ravioli and St. Louis-style pizza (Provel cheese is nonexistent in Utah). But you’ll gain "fry sauce" and some of the best authentic Mexican food in the Mid-West/Mountain West region.
Essential Preparation Checklist
Before you put the key in the ignition in St. Louis, do these three things:
- Check your coolant. The climb into the Rockies will stress your cooling system more than any drive through Missouri ever could.
- Download offline maps. There are dead zones in Western Kansas and the Utah border where your 5G will vanish.
- Pack a physical emergency kit. Blankets, extra water, and a portable jump starter. If you get stuck on Vail Pass in a snowstorm, you’ll be glad you have them.
The drive from St Louis MO to Salt Lake City UT is a rite of passage. It’s the bridge between the East and the West. Take the time to look at the horizon. The scale of the country is massive, and there’s no better way to feel that than by driving across the heart of it.
Keep your eyes on the weather, keep your tank full, and don't forget to grab a sleeve of donuts in Salina, Kansas. You’re going to need the sugar for the climb.