Drive or Fly: Cedar Rapids, IA to Dubuque, 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–DBQ. At 70 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

1h 27m

Distance

70.1 mi

Total Cost

$51

CO2

28 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 32m

7m in the air

Air Distance

61 mi

Total Cost

$122

CO2

15 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Cedar Rapids, IA → CID 14m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 7m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

DBQ → Dubuque, IA 11m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $122) $122

Airports

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

Dubuque, IA DBQ — Dubuque Regional Airport 7 mi, ~11m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between CID and DBQ. 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

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

3h 54m

1h 10m on road

Total Cost

CO2

3 kg

Route

Greyhound US0155S

Door-to-Door Timeline

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

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 70m

Arrival 10m

Davenport (Ground Transportation) (DAV6) → Dubuque, IA 102m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $6) $6

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

Stations

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

To DAV6 — Davenport (Ground Transportation) 68 mi, ~102m 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	1h 27m	2h 32m	3h 54m
Total cost (1 person)	$51	$122	$6
Carbon footprint	28 kg CO₂	15 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: 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 13, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Cedar Rapids, IA to Dubuque, IA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.