Drive or Fly: Clinton, OH to Cleveland, OH?

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 DAY–CLE. At 200 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

3h 12m

Distance

200.8 mi

Total Cost

$80

CO2

81 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$45
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 35m

21m in the air

Air Distance

177 mi

Total Cost

$182

CO2

45 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Clinton, OH → DAY 59m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 21m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
CLE → Cleveland, OH 15m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $127) $127
Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Clinton, OH DAY — James M. Cox Dayton International Airport 39 mi, ~59m drive
Cleveland, OH CLE — Cleveland Hopkins International Airport 10 mi, ~15m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between DAY and CLE. 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
May need a rental car at destination
Luggage fees and restrictions
Less flexibility for stops along the way

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

5h 9m

3h 50m on road

Total Cost

$17

CO2

9 kg

Route

Greyhound US0105

Door-to-Door Timeline

Clinton, OH → Springfield (Love's) (SIF6) 44m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 230m
Arrival 10m
Cleveland Downtown (E 12th St) (CLV6) → Cleveland, OH 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $17) $17

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

Stations

From SIF6 — Springfield (Love's) 30 mi, ~44m drive
To CLV6 — Cleveland Downtown (E 12th St) 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 Bus
Door-to-door time 3h 12m 3h 35m 5h 9m
Total cost (1 person) $80 $182 $17
Carbon footprint 81 kg CO2 45 kg CO2 9 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 Clinton, OH to Cleveland, OH with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.