Drive or Fly: Cardinal Lake Estates, GA to Lawrenceville, GA?

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 PDK–PDK. At 9 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

18m

Distance

9.4 mi

Total Cost

$37

CO2

4 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$2

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 47m

1m in the air

Air Distance

9 mi

Total Cost

$120

CO2

2 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Cardinal Lake Estates, GA → PDK 18m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 1m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

PDK → Lawrenceville, GA 28m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $120) $120

Airports

Cardinal Lake Estates, GA PDK — DeKalb Peachtree Airport 12 mi, ~18m drive

Lawrenceville, GA PDK — DeKalb Peachtree Airport 19 mi, ~28m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between PDK and PDK. 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 38m

52m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

3 kg

Route

Crescent

Door-to-Door Timeline

Cardinal Lake Estates, GA → Atlanta 29m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 52m

Arrival 10m

Gainesville Amtrak Station → Lawrenceville, GA 37m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $9) $9

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

Stations

From Atlanta 19 mi, ~29m drive

To Gainesville Amtrak Station 25 mi, ~37m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~11/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 11 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	18m	2h 47m	2h 38m
Total cost (1 person)	$37	$120	$9
Carbon footprint	4 kg CO₂	2 kg CO₂	3 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 16, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

9.4 mi 18m

via GA 120

Alternative (+1 min)

10.1 mi 19m

via GA 120

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Cardinal Lake Estates, GA to Lawrenceville, GA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.