- 1. Augusta and the Missouri wine country (about 1 hour)
- 2. Ste. Genevieve (about 1 hour)
- 3. Hermann (about 1 hour 20 minutes)
- 4. Elephant Rocks and Johnson’s Shut-Ins (about 1 hour 45 minutes)
- 5. Springfield, Illinois (about 1 hour 40 minutes)
- 6. Columbia, Missouri (about 2 hours)
- 7. Lake of the Ozarks (about 3 hours)
- 8. Kansas City (about 3 hours 45 minutes)
- 9. Louisville (about 4 hours)
- 10. Memphis (about 4 hours 30 minutes)
- 11. Nashville (about 4 hours 30 minutes)
- 12. Chicago (about 4 hours 45 minutes)
- Getting out of St. Louis without a car
- Cheap weekend getaways from St. Louis by car
- Last-minute weekend getaways from St. Louis
St. Louis sits within a comfortable drive of more variety than most people give it credit for, and the twelve below are ordered by how long it takes to get there. Drive times are for clear roads, so add to them for a Friday evening start.
1. Augusta and the Missouri wine country (about 1 hour)
The first federally recognised American Viticultural Area, planted by German settlers along the Missouri River. The Katy Trail runs through the middle of it, so you can cycle between tasting rooms rather than drive.
2. Ste. Genevieve (about 1 hour)
The oldest European settlement west of the Mississippi, and the best collection of French colonial vertical-log houses in North America, several of them open as a national historical park.
3. Hermann (about 1 hour 20 minutes)
A German river town that leans into it, with Stone Hill and Hermannhof wineries, Maifest in May and Oktoberfest across weekends in autumn. Book a room before you commit to a festival weekend.
4. Elephant Rocks and Johnson’s Shut-Ins (about 1 hour 45 minutes)
Billion-year-old granite weathered into boulders the size of vehicles, and downstream a stretch of river forced through narrow rock chutes that works as a natural water park. Both are state parks in the St. Francois Mountains.
5. Springfield, Illinois (about 1 hour 40 minutes)
Lincoln’s home, his law office, his tomb and the presidential library all within a few blocks. Route 66 runs through town if you want the drive to be part of the trip.
6. Columbia, Missouri (about 2 hours)
A college town with a good food scene for its size, the Katy Trail on the doorstep, and Rock Bridge Memorial State Park with its caves and sinkholes just south.
7. Lake of the Ozarks (about 3 hours)
The Missouri weekend default: boats, marinas and a shoreline longer than California’s. Ha Ha Tonka State Park is the reason to get off the water for an afternoon.
8. Kansas City (about 3 hours 45 minutes)
Barbecue, the Nelson-Atkins Museum with its shuttlecocks on the lawn, and the National WWI Museum and Memorial, which is the best of its kind in the country.
9. Louisville (about 4 hours)
Bourbon distilleries within an hour of the city, the Muhammad Ali Center downtown, and Churchill Downs. Go outside Derby week unless you booked a year ahead.
10. Memphis (about 4 hours 30 minutes)
Sun Studio, Stax, Graceland and Beale Street, plus the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, which is the one to give the most time to.
11. Nashville (about 4 hours 30 minutes)
The Country Music Hall of Fame, the Ryman, and a Broadway strip that is loud and knows it. Book accommodation early; weekends are the whole economy here.
12. Chicago (about 4 hours 45 minutes)
Long but straightforward, and the train is a real alternative if you would rather not drive. The Art Institute, the lakefront and the architecture boat tour fill two days easily.
Getting out of St. Louis without a car
St. Louis is better connected by rail than most Midwestern cities. The Missouri River Runner crosses to Kansas City, Lincoln Service trains run several times a day to Springfield, Illinois and on to Chicago, and long-distance trains reach Memphis. The wine country and the shut-ins still need a car.
Cheap weekend getaways from St. Louis by car
- Augusta: cycle the Katy Trail, which costs nothing, and pay only for the tasting
- Elephant Rocks: a state park day out for the price of the drive
- Ste. Genevieve: a walkable historic town with modest entry fees
- Springfield, Illinois: several of the Lincoln sites are free
Last-minute weekend getaways from St. Louis
- Augusta and the wine country, an hour out
- Elephant Rocks and Johnson’s Shut-Ins, no booking required
- Columbia, a college town with beds most weekends
- Springfield, Illinois, two hours and rarely full
If you are deciding on the day, work backwards from the drive rather than the destination: anything under two hours leaves you a genuine Saturday, and anything past four is really a three-day trip wearing a weekend label.
Kansas City is at the other end of the state and has its own set of trips, including the Flint Hills and the Missouri river towns to the north. See weekend getaways from Kansas City.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.
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