ST. LOUIS -- Rural Missouri is preparing for its moment in the sun. Check that: Its moment out of the sun.

A diagonal 482-kilometre-long, roughly 112-kilometres-wide stretch from St. Joseph to Cape Girardeau will be in the "path of totality" that will offer the best viewing of the total eclipse on Monday, the first in 99 years that will be visible coast-to-coast in the U.S.

Missouri tourism officials say up to 1.3 million visitors may show up for a glimpse. Hotel rooms in prime viewing spots are mostly sold out.

St. Louis and Kansas City are not in the path of totality, and much of the best viewing is in rural areas. The Missouri Department of Transportation warns that traffic could be congested in places where it normally isn't.

The Transportation Department is urging motorists not to take pictures of the eclipse while driving, and not to stop and park along interstate highways. Motorists should also watch for pedestrians along roadways -- some more focused on the sky than the vehicles around them.

The state's Emergency Operations Center opened Friday in preparation for any eclipse-related problems, and state officials said cities have changed trash pick-up schedules and businesses have changed work schedules to accommodate expected traffic and visitors. State officials are closing non-essential state offices to free up visitor parking since Jefferson City is in the path of totality.

The moon will begin to eclipse the sun around 11:45 a.m. in northwest Missouri. The totality of the eclipse -- when the sun is completely blocked -- will first occur in the St. Joseph area at 1:06 p.m. The eclipse exits Missouri near Perryville at 1:21 p.m. The moon moves completely out from in front of the sun around 2:45 p.m. in southeast Missouri.

Ste. Genevieve, a Mississippi River town about 96 kilometres south of St. Louis, will have 2 minutes and 40 seconds of darkness, and nearby Perryville 2:34. Darkness will last 2 minutes and 38 seconds at St. Joseph, and more than 2 1/2 minutes at central Missouri places such as Marshall, Columbia and Jefferson City.