Has anyone driven to Kansas City MO from Dallas? Mapquest suggests going an easterly route rather than going up 35. But I am not sure the roads would be good and that it is really faster.
TIA
A section of I-35 in OK is a toll road. That sort of bummed me out! The alternate road is preferable to me. I-35 is a truck route and those big rigs scare me to death!!!
We drive from Austin to Topeka and KC usually once a year.... we just take 35 north the entire way. The tollroad is real nice, and not that expensive... you get a ticket at the beginning, and pay when you leave.
I believe, depending on where in KC you are going, you get off at Emporia and take a different 35N into the southern part of KC, or you can take the tollroad to Topeka, stay on the tollroad and drive east to KC Kansas, then into KC MO.
When we drive from Austin, with stops, we plan on it being a 12 hour day, usually... sometimes less, depending on the age of people or how big of a hurry we are in.
Check your mapquest settings.... it may be set to avoid toll roads, which may be why they are routing you easterly (through Tulsa, maybe?)
Enjoy your drive! You are probably looking at 9 hours, I think?
Tha'ts the route I take from Denton to Overland Park (Kansas City) KS. It's a great drive and it takes me about 7 hours. Worth the small toll to stay on the easy track.
We do this trip often as my IL's live in KC. There are really 2 primary routes...I-35 or 75/69. We are located in NE Frisco, so close to 75. When we stay w/ hubby's cousin who live in south Overland Park (think 151st and 69) then we usually take 69. When we stay with MIL, who lives on the way north end of OP (like 95th street), then it makes more sense to take 35. The benefit of 35 is that when it's not having too much construction, it's quick and easy with more known/predictible exits. 69 you go through lots of small towns so you have to be prepared to slow down your speeds; you also have to be more strategic about where/when you eat b/c you go for longer times without any major food areas.
It is shorter to go up 75 to eastern OK. My mom drives down to Plano from Liberty (north side of KC, and she lives right off I-35). It takes her about 9 hours but she stops about every hour since she is alone and driving the whole way herself.
We always take I-35 straight through when going to Houston. I would not trust roads I do not know!
I enjoy the route of the countryside. I often go down 75 or 77 when I travel from OK to TX. I enjoy the small towns and seeing different things. I even enjoy stopping occasionally and sightseeing. I enjoyed stopped in Sherman and Denton and seeing the Eisenhower home and there are lots of other places to see too.
If you want to get in the car and drive without stopping except for gas and food them 35 is the way to go. There are several small towns that it goes through that are good for stopping instead of places like OKC where there will be crowds and tons of traffic.
I would plan my travel around rush hour traffic too. Plan on getting into heavy traffic around Guthrie or Edmond, just North of OKC, and that continuing until you pass Moore/Norman. It is heavy nearly 20 hours of the day but obviously it will be worse during he daylight hours until about 11pm. I often travel during the night because I enjoy the ease and less traffic. I find that I can drive and go a bit over the speed limit, but not too much of course, without worry about other dangerous drivers who are weaving in and out going really fast.
We go to Overland Park from Coppell and take 35 all the way. Easy and direct.
