Drive or Fly: Centre, AL to Florence, AL?

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 CHA–MSL. At 145 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 12m

Distance

145.4 mi

Total Cost

$67

CO2

59 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$32

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

4h 5m

15m in the air

Air Distance

122 mi

Total Cost

$125

CO2

31 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Centre, AL → CHA 100m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 15m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

MSL → Florence, AL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $125) $125

Airports

Centre, AL CHA — Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (Lovell Field) 67 mi, ~100m drive

Florence, AL MSL — Northwest Alabama Regional Airport 5 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between CHA and MSL. 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

6h 6m

5h on road

Total Cost

$12

CO2

6 kg

Route

Greyhound US0622s

Door-to-Door Timeline

Centre, AL → Gadsden (U-Haul) (GDA6) 31m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 300m

Arrival 10m

Florence (Wavaho Gas Station) (FLA6) → Florence, AL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $12) $12

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

Stations

From GDA6 — Gadsden (U-Haul) 21 mi, ~31m drive

To FLA6 — Florence (Wavaho Gas Station) 3 mi, ~10m 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	3h 12m	4h 5m	6h 6m
Total cost (1 person)	$67	$125	$12
Carbon footprint	59 kg CO₂	31 kg CO₂	6 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 17, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

145.4 mi 3h 11m

via AL 157, US 278, US 411; AL 68

Alternative (+23 min)

165.1 mi 3h 35m

via US 72; AL 279, US 72 Alternate; AL 20, AL 35

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Centre, AL to Florence, AL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.