St. Louis to Washington, D.C.: Toll Road Options and Costs

Driving ~850 miles from St. Louis to D.C. offers two main toll-road corridors:

Route A: I-70 East (Shorter, Higher Tolls)

~830 miles, 12h 30m

• Indiana Toll Road (I-90/I-80): 156 mi, $16.00 (2-axle, E-ZPass) / $22.00 (cash/video).
• Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76): 359 mi (Ohio line to Valley Forge), $35.00 E-ZPass / $52.00 toll-by-plate.
• Total tolls: ~$51 (E-ZPass) / $74 (cash).

Route B: I-64 East → I-81 South (Longer, Lower Tolls)

~880 miles, 13h 15m

• West Virginia Turnpike (I-77/I-64): 87 mi (Princeton to Charleston), $13.00 E-ZPass / $15.00 cash.
• Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76): Only 9 mi (Breezewood to US-30), $1.80 E-ZPass / $2.30 cash.
• Total tolls: ~$15 (E-ZPass) / $17 (cash).

Comparison

Recommendation

Route B saves $36 for 45 extra minutes — worth it unless time-critical. Get an E-ZPass (works in IN, OH, PA, WV, VA, MD) for lowest rates and no-stop plazas.

Non-Toll Alternative

US-40 / US-50 / US-30 — adds 2–3 hours, no tolls, more towns, lower speeds.

Check Google Maps / Waze day-of for construction, accidents, weather.