Drive or Fly: Clear Creek, IN to West Lafayette, IN?

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 IND–LAF. At 118 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

2h 23m

Distance

118.2 mi

Total Cost

$61

CO2

48 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$26

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 27m

11m in the air

Air Distance

93 mi

Total Cost

$124

CO2

24 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Clear Creek, IN → IND 66m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 11m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

LAF → West Lafayette, IN 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $124) $124

Airports

Clear Creek, IN IND — Indianapolis International Airport 44 mi, ~66m drive

West Lafayette, IN LAF — Purdue University Airport 2 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between IND and LAF. 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 40m

1h 36m on rail

Total Cost

$12

CO2

3 kg

Route

Cardinal

Door-to-Door Timeline

Clear Creek, IN → Indianapolis 74m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 96m

Arrival 10m

Lafayette Amtrak Station → West Lafayette, IN 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $12) $12

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

Stations

From Indianapolis 49 mi, ~74m drive

To Lafayette Amtrak Station 1 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~5/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 5 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

3h 35m

2h 50m on road

Total Cost

$10

CO2

5 kg

Route

FlixBus 2515

Door-to-Door Timeline

Clear Creek, IN → Bloomington (IN) (BMNN) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 170m

Arrival 10m

Lafayette Bus Stop (LFY6) → West Lafayette, IN 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $10) $10

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

Stations

From BMNN — Bloomington (IN) 4 mi, ~10m drive

To LFY6 — Lafayette Bus Stop 1 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	Train	Bus
Door-to-door time	2h 23m	3h 27m	3h 40m	3h 35m
Total cost (1 person)	$61	$124	$12	$10
Carbon footprint	48 kg CO₂	24 kg CO₂	3 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, 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 Clear Creek, IN to West Lafayette, IN with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.