Drive or Fly: Cincinnati, IL to Champaign, IL?

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 MWA–CMI. At 145 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 14m

Distance

145.7 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

3h 43m

14m in the air

Air Distance

119 mi

Total Cost

$125

CO2

30 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Cincinnati, IL → MWA 79m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 14m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

CMI → Champaign, IL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $125) $125

Airports

Cincinnati, IL MWA — Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois 53 mi, ~79m drive

Champaign, IL CMI — University of Illinois Willard Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between MWA and CMI. 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 39m

1h 57m on rail

Total Cost

$24

CO2

7 kg

Route

Illini

Door-to-Door Timeline

Cincinnati, IL → Centralia Amtrak Station 52m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 117m

Arrival 10m

Champaign-Urbana → Champaign, IL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $24) $24

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

Stations

From Centralia Amtrak Station 35 mi, ~52m drive

To Champaign-Urbana 0 mi, ~10m 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	3h 14m	3h 43m	3h 39m
Total cost (1 person)	$67	$125	$24
Carbon footprint	59 kg CO₂	30 kg CO₂	7 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 18, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Cincinnati, IL to Champaign, IL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.