What Are the Best and Worst Times to Drive in St. Louis?

St. Louis actually has the seventh-largest highway system in the country, which is good because you can get across the city fairly fast. But it also means traffic spreads out to more places.

Driving in St. Louis can be a pain. Some days it feels like everyone in the city decided to be on the road at the same time. The best times to drive are when most people are at work or home, but the worst times to hit the road are when commuters, trucks, and event-goers all collide in traffic.

St. Louis is a big city in Missouri with over 300,000 people. It has highways, bridges, and streets that twist and turn in ways that can confuse even experienced drivers. Downtown is packed, the Mississippi River needs to be crossed, and there are suburbs everywhere. Add in sports events, concerts, and roadwork, and the traffic can get really bad.

Worst Times to Drive in St. Louis

St. Louis does have rush hour like any other town, but here, there are two different personalities, one for the highways and one for the neighborhoods.

Morning Rush Hour: 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

This is actually the hardest window of the day. You should expect very heavy delays on all the major corridors leading downtown and to Clayton, especially:

• I-64/40 eastbound toward downtown
• I-44 eastbound
• I-55 northbound
• I-70 eastbound
• The Poplar Street Bridge
• The I-270 interchanges 

Traffic is heaviest between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m.

Evening Rush Hour: 4:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Westbound traffic is the main issue at this time. You’ll see slowdowns on:

• I-64/40 westbound toward Chesterfield
• I-44 westbound
• I-55 southbound
• I-70 west and north
• I-270, especially near Manchester, I-44, and I-70

The heaviest point is 4:30-5:30 p.m.

School Traffic: 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Areas around schools, especially in West County and South County, get clogged during school pickup. Even if it’s not “rush hour,” the backups can feel like it.

Event Traffic

St. Louis has a strong event culture. You should expect there to be bumper-to-bumper type of traffic during rush hour anytime these events are held: 

• Cardinals games (especially Friday evenings)
• Blues games
• CITY SC matches
• Concerts at Enterprise Center, Riverport/ Hollywood Casino Amphitheater, and Busch Stadium
• Big events at The Dome or SLU
• Festivals downtown or around Forest Park

Event traffic typically spikes 1 hour before and 30-45 minutes after events.

Best Times to Drive in St. Louis

St. Louis has one of the biggest highway systems in the U.S. That means if you plan your route, you can get around pretty quickly. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than cities like Chicago or LA.

Here are some of the best driving times:

Late Morning: 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Commuters are already at work, and delivery trucks aren’t as concentrated on the roads.

Early Afternoon: 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

This is one of the easiest times to get around; that is, unless a school zone affects your route.

Later Evening: After 7:00 p.m.

It’s now that traffic usually drops a lot. Highways and bridges are also wide open unless there’s construction.

Weekends (with exceptions)

Saturdays and Sundays are generally lighter overall, but watch for:

• Downtown games
• Forest Park events
• Construction (which is often scheduled on weekends)
• Weather delays

Early weekend mornings (before 10 a.m.) are some of the clearest times to drive anywhere in the metro area.

Recap of Main Points

• Morning (7-9 a.m.) and evening (4-6:30 p.m.) rush hours are the worst.
• Special events, accidents, and weather can make traffic and driving conditions inconvenient.
• Key highways to watch: I-64/40, I-44, I-55, I-70, I-270 Loop, and the bridges.
• Use traffic apps, avoid distractions, and try to drive off-peak if possible.