Drive or Fly: Clinton Township, MI to Butler, MI?

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 DTW–AZO. At 128 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

2h 39m

Distance

128.2 mi

Total Cost

$63

CO2

52 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$28

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

13m in the air

Air Distance

106 mi

Total Cost

$124

CO2

27 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Clinton Township, MI → DTW 51m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 13m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

AZO → Butler, MI 56m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $124) $124

Airports

Clinton Township, MI DTW — Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport 34 mi, ~51m drive

Butler, MI AZO — Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport 37 mi, ~56m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between DTW and AZO. 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 32m

2h 11m on rail

Total Cost

$17

CO2

5 kg

Route

Wolverine

Door-to-Door Timeline

Clinton Township, MI → Royal Oak Amtrak 20m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 131m

Arrival 10m

Albion → Butler, MI 21m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $17) $17

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

Stations

From Royal Oak Amtrak 13 mi, ~20m drive

To Albion 14 mi, ~21m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~8/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 8 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

4h 25m

2h 55m on road

Total Cost

$11

CO2

6 kg

Route

Greyhound US0160

Door-to-Door Timeline

Clinton Township, MI → Southfield Bus Stop (SHF6) 28m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 175m

Arrival 10m

Battle Creek Bus Stop (BCM6) → Butler, MI 37m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $11) $11

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

Stations

From SHF6 — Southfield Bus Stop 19 mi, ~28m drive

To BCM6 — Battle Creek Bus Stop 24 mi, ~37m 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 39m	4h	3h 32m	4h 25m
Total cost (1 person)	$63	$124	$17	$11
Carbon footprint	52 kg CO₂	27 kg CO₂	5 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: 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 13, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Clinton Township, MI to Butler, MI with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.