Drive or Fly: Cedar Rapids, IA to Brooklyn, IA?

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 CID–CID. At 68 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

1h 20m

Distance

68 mi

Total Cost

$50

CO2

27 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$15

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

3h 18m

5m in the air

Air Distance

45 mi

Total Cost

$122

CO2

12 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Cedar Rapids, IA → CID 14m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 5m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

CID → Brooklyn, IA 59m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $122) $122

Airports

Cedar Rapids, IA CID — The Eastern Iowa Airport 9 mi, ~14m drive

Brooklyn, IA CID — The Eastern Iowa Airport 39 mi, ~59m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between CID and CID. 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

4h 33m

51m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

3 kg

Route

California Zephyr

Door-to-Door Timeline

Cedar Rapids, IA → Mt. Pleasant Amtrak Station 108m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 51m

Arrival 10m

Ottumwa Amtrak Station → Brooklyn, IA 74m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $9) $9

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

Stations

From Mt. Pleasant Amtrak Station 72 mi, ~108m drive

To Ottumwa Amtrak Station 49 mi, ~74m 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

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

2h 34m

1h 10m on road

Total Cost

CO2

4 kg

Route

Greyhound US0155S

Door-to-Door Timeline

Cedar Rapids, IA → Iowa City (ICY6) 37m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 70m

Arrival 10m

Grinnell (GIA6) → Brooklyn, IA 22m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $7) $7

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

Stations

From ICY6 — Iowa City 25 mi, ~37m drive

To GIA6 — Grinnell 15 mi, ~22m 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	Train	Bus
Door-to-door time	1h 20m	3h 18m	4h 33m	2h 34m
Total cost (1 person)	$50	$122	$9	$7
Carbon footprint	27 kg CO₂	12 kg CO₂	3 kg CO₂	4 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, 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 Cedar Rapids, IA to Brooklyn, IA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.