Drive or Fly: Custer, SD to Yankton, SD?

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 RAP–FSD. At 404 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

6h 53m

Distance

404.5 mi

Total Cost

$123

CO2

163 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$88

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

− Driver fatigue on longer stretches

− Wear and tear on vehicle

− Fuel price fluctuations

Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

4h 57m

38m in the air

Air Distance

318 mi

Total Cost

$188

CO2

81 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Custer, SD → RAP 50m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 38m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

FSD → Yankton, SD 89m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $133) $133

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Custer, SD RAP — Rapid City Regional Airport 33 mi, ~50m drive

Yankton, SD FSD — Sioux Falls Regional Airport 59 mi, ~89m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between RAP and FSD. 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

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly
Door-to-door time	6h 53m	4h 57m
Total cost (1 person)	$123	$188
Carbon footprint	163 kg CO₂	81 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

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 17, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

404.5 mi 6h 52m

via I 90; US 14, US 81, US 16; US 385

Alternative (+60 min)

470.2 mi 7h 52m

via I 90; US 14, I 29, SD 50

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Custer, SD to Yankton, SD with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.