Drive or Fly: Crestwood, IL to Belleville, 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–BLV. At 119 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

2h 22m

Distance

119 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

2h 39m

10m in the air

Air Distance

85 mi

Total Cost

$123

CO2

22 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Crestwood, IL → MWA 17m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 10m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

BLV → Belleville, IL 12m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $123) $123

Airports

Crestwood, IL MWA — Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois 11 mi, ~17m drive

Belleville, IL BLV — Scott AFB/Midamerica Airport 8 mi, ~12m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between MWA and BLV. 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 27m

2h on rail

Total Cost

$16

CO2

5 kg

Route

Amtrak Thruway Connecting Service

Door-to-Door Timeline

Crestwood, IL → Carbondale 26m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 120m

Arrival 10m

St. Louis → Belleville, IL 21m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $16) $16

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

Stations

From Carbondale 17 mi, ~26m drive

To St. Louis 14 mi, ~21m 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

3h 22m

2h 10m on road

Total Cost

CO2

5 kg

Route

FlixBus N2521

Door-to-Door Timeline

Crestwood, IL → Carbondale Intermodal Station (CDI6) 26m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 130m

Arrival 10m

St Louis Bus Station (SLD6) → Belleville, IL 21m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $9) $9

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

Stations

From CDI6 — Carbondale Intermodal Station 17 mi, ~26m drive

To SLD6 — St Louis Bus Station 14 mi, ~21m 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 22m	2h 39m	3h 27m	3h 22m
Total cost (1 person)	$61	$123	$16	$9
Carbon footprint	48 kg CO₂	22 kg CO₂	5 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 13, 2026.

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