Drive or Fly: Benton, AR to Barling, AR?

Side-by-side comparison of driving versus flying for this route. Costs, time, and trade-offs at a glance.

Driving wins

Medium

No scheduled commercial flights found for LIT–FSM. At 179 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

3h 8m

Distance

179.3 mi

Total Cost

$75

CO2

72 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$40

Hotel (1 room, 0 nights) $0

Meals (1 pax, 1 day) $35

+ No luggage restrictions or TSA lines

+ Comfortable one-day drive

+ Stop anywhere along the route

+ Have your own car at the destination

+ Likely faster door-to-door than flying

− Wear and tear on vehicle

− Fuel price fluctuations

Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

2h 58m

13m in the air

Air Distance

110 mi

Total Cost

$124

CO2

28 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Benton, AR → LIT 35m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 13m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

FSM → Barling, AR 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $124) $124

Airports

Benton, AR LIT — Bill & Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field 24 mi, ~35m drive

Barling, AR FSM — Fort Smith Regional Airport 4 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between LIT and FSM. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Less physical fatigue

+ Predictable arrival time

− Airport security and check-in overhead

− No scheduled commercial flights found for this route

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

3h 35m

2h 50m on road

Total Cost

$13

CO2

7 kg

Route

Greyhound US1148S

Door-to-Door Timeline

Benton, AR → Bryant-Little Rock (Gassy's) (BRT6) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 170m

Arrival 10m

Van Buren/ Ft Smith Bus Depot (FSM6) → Barling, AR 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $13) $13

Estimated based on distance. Check flixbus.com for current prices.

Stations

From BRT6 — Bryant-Little Rock (Gassy's) 7 mi, ~10m drive

To FSM6 — Van Buren/ Ft Smith Bus Depot 7 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~7/week

+ Usually the cheapest option

+ Wi-Fi and power outlets on board

+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route

+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying

− Limited schedule — about 7 trips per week

− Travel time longer than driving

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Bus
Door-to-door time	3h 8m	2h 58m	3h 35m
Total cost (1 person)	$75	$124	$13
Carbon footprint	72 kg CO₂	28 kg CO₂	7 kg CO₂
Flexibility	High	Low
Luggage	Unlimited	Restricted
Reliability	Weather dependent	Data unavailable

Drive data: OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices

Flight data: Statistical estimate

Airports: OurAirports

Transit: FlixBus GTFS — fares estimated

Confidence: Medium — airports identified, fares estimated

Costs are estimates. Actual flight prices vary by airline, date, and booking time. Drive costs based on OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices. Computed Apr 12, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Benton, AR to Barling, AR with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.