Drive or Fly: Delray Beach, FL to Jacksonville, FL?

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 PBI–JAX. At 299 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

5h 31m

Distance

299.4 mi

Total Cost

$101

CO2

121 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$66

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 14m

34m in the air

Air Distance

284 mi

Total Cost

$186

CO2

72 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Delray Beach, FL → PBI 23m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 34m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

JAX → Jacksonville, FL 17m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $131) $131

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Delray Beach, FL PBI — Palm Beach International Airport 15 mi, ~23m drive

Jacksonville, FL JAX — Jacksonville International Airport 11 mi, ~17m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between PBI and JAX. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Saves about 2h 17m 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

9h 14m

7h 34m on rail

Total Cost

$58

CO2

17 kg

Route

Silver Meteor

Door-to-Door Timeline

Delray Beach, FL → Delray Beach Amtrak 30m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 454m

Arrival 10m

Jacksonville → Jacksonville, FL 30m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $58) $58

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

Stations

From Delray Beach Amtrak 0 mi, ~30m drive

To Jacksonville 0 mi, ~30m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~12/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 12 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

9h 35m

8h 10m on road

Total Cost

$32

CO2

17 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Delray Beach, FL → Boca Raton Trirail Station (BCR6) 30m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 490m

Arrival 10m

Jacksonville (Downtown) (JAX6) → Jacksonville, FL 30m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $32) $32

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

Stations

From BCR6 — Boca Raton Trirail Station 0 mi, ~30m drive

To JAX6 — Jacksonville (Downtown) 0 mi, ~30m 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 31m	3h 14m	9h 14m	9h 35m
Total cost (1 person)	$101	$186	$58	$32
Carbon footprint	121 kg CO₂	72 kg CO₂	17 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 18, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Delray Beach, FL to Jacksonville, FL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.