Drive or Fly: Bowling Green, MO to Lee's Summit, MO?

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 UIN–MCI. At 205 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

4h 4m

Distance

205.5 mi

Total Cost

$81

CO2

83 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$46
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

4h 11m

21m in the air

Air Distance

173 mi

Total Cost

$182

CO2

44 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Bowling Green, MO → UIN 62m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 21m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
MCI → Lee's Summit, MO 48m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $127) $127
Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Bowling Green, MO UIN — Quincy Regional Airport Baldwin Field 42 mi, ~62m drive
Lee's Summit, MO MCI — Kansas City International Airport 32 mi, ~48m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between UIN and MCI. 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
May need a rental car at destination
Luggage fees and restrictions
Less flexibility for stops along the way

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

5h 49m

4h 5m on road

Total Cost

$20

CO2

11 kg

Route

Greyhound US0175s

Door-to-Door Timeline

Bowling Green, MO → Warrenton (Phillips 66) (WRT6) 54m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 245m
Arrival 10m
Kansas City Bus Station (KCD6) → Lee's Summit, MO 25m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $20) $20

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

Stations

From WRT6 — Warrenton (Phillips 66) 36 mi, ~54m drive
To KCD6 — Kansas City Bus Station 16 mi, ~25m 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 4h 4m 4h 11m 5h 49m
Total cost (1 person) $81 $182 $20
Carbon footprint 83 kg CO2 44 kg CO2 11 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 Bowling Green, MO to Lee's Summit, MO with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.