Drive or Fly: Brooklyn, NY to Florida, NY?

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 JFK–SWF. At 71 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

1h 43m

Distance

71.4 mi

Total Cost

$51

CO2

29 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$16
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 46m

6m in the air

Air Distance

52 mi

Total Cost

$122

CO2

13 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Brooklyn, NY → JFK 14m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 6m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
SWF → Florida, NY 26m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $122) $122

Airports

Brooklyn, NY JFK — John F. Kennedy International Airport 9 mi, ~14m drive
Florida, NY SWF — New York Stewart International Airport 18 mi, ~26m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between JFK and SWF. 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

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

2h 13m

42m on rail

Total Cost

$6

CO2

2 kg

Route

Empire Service

Door-to-Door Timeline

Brooklyn, NY → Ny Moynihan Train Hall At Penn Station 11m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 42m
Arrival 10m
Croton-Harmon Amtrak Station → Florida, NY 40m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $6) $6

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

Stations

From Ny Moynihan Train Hall At Penn Station 7 mi, ~11m drive
To Croton-Harmon Amtrak Station 27 mi, ~40m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~12/week

+ Spacious seating with legroom and power outlets
+ Walk around freely during the trip
+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route
+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying
Limited schedule — about 12 trips per week
Amtrak delays can be unpredictable
Need transportation to/from station
Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

Drive Fly Train
Door-to-door time 1h 43m 2h 46m 2h 13m
Total cost (1 person) $51 $122 $6
Carbon footprint 29 kg CO2 13 kg CO2 2 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: Amtrak 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 Brooklyn, NY to Florida, NY with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.