Ball drop downtown, jazz and barbecue after
This is leg 1 of 1, the opening leg.
Travel leg · Kansas City New Year's Eve
Downtown Kansas City to Country Club Plaza
Downtown Kansas City and Country Club Plaza sit about 6.3 km (3.9 mi) apart in a straight line, with Country Club Plaza to the south. It is leg 1 of 1 on our Kansas City New Year's Eve itinerary, a 3-day trip. It is a short hop across town, easy by local transit, ride share or on foot.
- Straight-line distance
- 6.3 km · 3.9 mi
- Est. road distance
- 7.6–8.9 km
- Est. drive time
- 10–20 min
- Direction
- Heading south
- Curated routes
- 1 itinerary
Road distance is estimated as 1.2–1.4× the straight line; drive time assumes average speeds of 25–45 km/h with no stops or traffic. These are rough estimates — check a maps app for the actual route.
Ways to get there
We don't have live routing data, so the figures below are labelled estimates built from the straight-line distance. Use them to plan the day, then confirm in a maps app.
Across town
This is a short in-city hop of about 6.3 km in a straight line. Our Kansas City New Year's Eve guide suggests public transit, ride shares or taxis and walking for getting around. By car it takes an estimated 10–20 min without traffic.
Fly into Kansas City International (MCI), about 30 minutes north of downtown. The KC Streetcar is free and ran extended hours, about 5 a.m. to 2 a.m., on New Year's Eve 2025; it links the River Market, the Power & Light District, the Crossroads and Union Station, and its Main Street extension now continues south toward the Plaza. Rideshare surges after midnight, so walk a few blocks away from the KC Live! block before requesting a car. Downtown garages fill early on December 31.
Open Downtown Kansas City → Country Club Plaza directions in Google Maps ↗
Worth stopping for
Picks from our curated guides at both ends, plus 2 places near the straight-line path.
When you arrive in Country Club Plaza
Spanish-style shopping district for a slow Jan 1 under the holiday lights, with brunch and park walks.
Shuttlecocks
Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen's four giant shuttlecocks, scattered across the Nelson-Atkins lawn since 1994.
Loose Park
A 75-acre park south of the Plaza with a duck pond, a rose garden and a paved loop that suits a first-day walk.
Gram & Dun
A Plaza brunch favorite on Brush Creek, with a big patio and dishes like banana cream French toast and shrimp and grits.
The Raphael Hotel
A 1920s apartment building turned boutique hotel facing the Plaza across Brush Creek.
Plaza Lights
Strings of colored bulbs outline the Plaza's towers and rooflines from Thanksgiving night, a tradition since the 1920s.
Mill Creek Park and J.C. Nichols Fountain
A small park at the Plaza's edge anchored by the J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain and its bronze horsemen.
Near the way
These places from our other itineraries sit within about 1 km of the straight line between Downtown Kansas City and Country Club Plaza. The road may not pass them directly, so check how far off your route they are.
Union Station Kansas City
1914 rail station with a grand hall, science center and model railroad exhibit.
National WWI Museum and Memorial
The US museum dedicated to the First World War, under the Liberty Memorial tower.
Before you leave Downtown Kansas City
The countdown core; 2 nights for the KC Live! ball drop, Crossroads dinners and late jazz.
Union Station
The 1914 Beaux-Arts station, with a Grand Hall clock and holiday trains; Science City inside hosts a family Noon Year's Eve.
NYE Live! at KC Live!
The Power & Light District's ticketed New Year's Eve party on the covered KC Live! block, with DJs, live acts and a midnight ball drop.
Jack Stack Barbecue Freight House
A Kansas City barbecue institution in a restored freight depot next to Union Station, known for burnt ends and crown prime ribs.
On this curated route
Where Downtown Kansas City → Country Club Plaza sits in the full itinerary. Highlighted stops are this leg.
Going the other way? Country Club Plaza to Downtown Kansas City is the same 6.3 km in a straight line, heading north. Reverse directions in Google Maps ↗
Downtown Kansas City to Country Club Plaza: questions travelers ask
How far is Downtown Kansas City from Country Club Plaza?
Downtown Kansas City is about 6.3 km (3.9 mi) from Country Club Plaza in a straight line, with Country Club Plaza to the south. By road, we estimate 7.6–8.9 km (4.7–5.5 mi), or 1.2–1.4 times the straight line. Check a maps app for the exact route.
How long does it take to drive from Downtown Kansas City to Country Club Plaza?
An estimated 10–20 min, assuming 7.6–8.9 km of road at average speeds of 25–45 km/h with no stops or traffic. It is not a routed time, so check a maps app on the day.
What is there to see between Downtown Kansas City and Country Club Plaza?
Near the straight-line path we have 2 places from our curated guides, including Union Station Kansas City (Kansas City), National WWI Museum and Memorial (Kansas City). The road may not pass them directly, so check the detour.
Which itineraries include the trip from Downtown Kansas City to Country Club Plaza?
Our Kansas City New Year's Eve itinerary includes this leg. Kansas City New Year's Eve runs about 3 days across 2 stops, best in Dec 30 – Jan 1.
Guides for both ends
- Downtown Kansas City travel guide
- Kansas City weather covers Downtown Kansas City and Country Club Plaza
- Country Club Plaza travel guide
Kansas City by month (covers Country Club Plaza)
Plan Downtown Kansas City → Country Club Plaza with your crew
Add this leg to a shared itinerary, poll the group on where to stop, split fuel and tickets, and keep everyone's packing list in one place in TripsCircle.