Drive or Fly: Castle Point, MO to Scott City, 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 STL–CGI. At 131 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

2h 33m

Distance

131.7 mi

Total Cost

$64

CO2

53 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$29

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 34m

14m in the air

Air Distance

114 mi

Total Cost

$125

CO2

29 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Castle Point, MO → STL 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 14m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

CGI → Scott City, MO 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $125) $125

Airports

Castle Point, MO STL — St. Louis Lambert International Airport 7 mi, ~10m drive

Scott City, MO CGI — Cape Girardeau Regional Airport 3 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between STL and CGI. 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

3h 52m

2h on rail

Total Cost

$16

CO2

5 kg

Route

Amtrak Thruway Connecting Service

Door-to-Door Timeline

Castle Point, MO → St. Louis 14m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 120m

Arrival 10m

Carbondale → Scott City, MO 58m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $16) $16

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

Stations

From St. Louis 10 mi, ~14m drive

To Carbondale 39 mi, ~58m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~1/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 1 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	2h 33m	2h 34m	3h 52m
Total cost (1 person)	$64	$125	$16
Carbon footprint	53 kg CO₂	29 kg CO₂	5 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 15, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Castle Point, MO to Scott City, MO with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.