Drive or Fly: Detroit, MI to Beverly Hills, 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–DTW. At 20 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

28m

Distance

20.1 mi

Total Cost

$39

CO2

8 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$4
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

2m in the air

Air Distance

16 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

4 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Detroit, MI → DTW 27m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 2m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
DTW → Beverly Hills, MI 34m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

Detroit, MI DTW — Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport 18 mi, ~27m drive
Beverly Hills, MI DTW — Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport 22 mi, ~34m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between DTW and DTW. 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

1h 30m

30m on rail

Total Cost

$3

CO2

1 kg

Route

Wolverine

Door-to-Door Timeline

Detroit, MI → Detroit 10m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 30m
Arrival 10m
Troy Amtrak Station → Beverly Hills, MI 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $3) $3

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

Stations

From Detroit 3 mi, ~10m drive
To Troy Amtrak Station 2 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~13/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 13 trips per week
Amtrak delays can be unpredictable
Need transportation to/from station
Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

1h 10m

25m on road

Total Cost

$2

CO2

1 kg

Route

Greyhound US0160

Door-to-Door Timeline

Detroit, MI → Detroit Bus Station (DET6) 10m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 25m
Arrival 10m
Southfield Bus Stop (SHF6) → Beverly Hills, MI 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $2) $2

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

Stations

From DET6 — Detroit Bus Station 1 mi, ~10m drive
To SHF6 — Southfield Bus Stop 3 mi, ~10m 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 28m 3h 3m 1h 30m 1h 10m
Total cost (1 person) $39 $121 $3 $2
Carbon footprint 8 kg CO2 4 kg CO2 1 kg CO2 1 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 12, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Detroit, MI to Beverly Hills, MI with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.