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Drive or Fly: Crainville, IL to Markham, 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–MDW. At 301 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

5h 32m

Distance

301.4 mi

Total Cost

$102

CO2

122 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$67
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 3m

33m in the air

Air Distance

275 mi

Total Cost

$186

CO2

70 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Crainville, IL → MWA 10m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 33m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
MDW → Markham, IL 20m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $131) $131
Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Crainville, IL MWA — Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois 3 mi, ~10m drive
Markham, IL MDW — Chicago Midway International Airport 14 mi, ~20m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between MWA and MDW. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Saves about 2h 29m compared to driving
+ 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

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

5h 43m

4h 40m on rail

Total Cost

$56

CO2

16 kg

Route

Illini

Door-to-Door Timeline

Crainville, IL → Carbondale 13m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 280m
Arrival 10m
Homewood → Markham, IL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $56) $56

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

Stations

From Carbondale 8 mi, ~13m drive
To Homewood 3 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

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

9h 47m

8h 55m on road

Total Cost

$32

CO2

17 kg

Route

FlixBus N2521

Door-to-Door Timeline

Crainville, IL → Carbondale Intermodal Station (CDI6) 13m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 535m
Arrival 10m
Chicago (95th / Dan Ryan) (CHA6) → Markham, IL 14m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $32) $32

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

Stations

From CDI6 — Carbondale Intermodal Station 8 mi, ~13m drive
To CHA6 — Chicago (95th / Dan Ryan) 10 mi, ~14m 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 5h 32m 3h 3m 5h 43m 9h 47m
Total cost (1 person) $102 $186 $56 $32
Carbon footprint 122 kg CO2 70 kg CO2 16 kg CO2 17 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 Crainville, IL to Markham, IL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.