title: Best Time to Drive Through St Louis
url: https://boardspy.site/blog/best-time-to-drive-through-st-louis/
type: Article
dateModified: 2026-08-28
publisher: BoardSpy
quick_answer: Quick answer: Between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., or after 6:30 p.m. Avoid 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 to 6:00 p.m.
primary_keyword: best time to drive through st louis
keywords[5]{term}:
  best time to drive through st louis
  driving through st louis traffic
  avoid st louis traffic i-70
  poplar street bridge traffic
  i-64 through st louis
faqs[3]{q,a}:
  What is the best time to drive through St Louis?,Between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., or after 6:30 p.m. Avoid 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 to 6:00 p.m.
  Should I take I-270 around St Louis?,For through-traffic, usually yes. I-270 arcs around the north and west of the city and avoids the downtown river crossing entirely. It is longer but removes the main bottleneck.
  What is the Poplar Street Bridge?,The main downtown Mississippi River crossing, carrying I-64, I-55 and US 40 traffic on a single structure. It is the principal chokepoint for anyone driving through central St Louis.
citations[3]{name,url}:
  MoDOT — Rest Areas,https://www.modot.org/rest-areas
  Illinois Administrative Code Title 92 §533.20 (rest area stops),https://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/092/092005330000200R.html
  BoardSpy — best time to drive through Chicago,https://boardspy.site/blog/best-time-to-drive-through-chicago/
internal_links[4]{label,url}:
  best time to drive through Indianapolis,https://boardspy.site/blog/best-time-to-drive-through-indianapolis/
  best time to drive through Memphis,https://boardspy.site/blog/best-time-to-drive-through-memphis/
  best time to drive through Chicago,https://boardspy.site/blog/best-time-to-drive-through-chicago/
  best time to drive through Nashville,https://boardspy.site/blog/best-time-to-drive-through-nashville/