Drive or Fly: Fairfield, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA?

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 BRL–CID. At 98 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

1h 37m

Distance

98.4 mi

Total Cost

$57

CO2

40 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$22

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 33m

9m in the air

Air Distance

71 mi

Total Cost

$123

CO2

18 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Fairfield, IA → BRL 70m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 9m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

CID → Cedar Rapids, IA 14m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $123) $123

Airports

Fairfield, IA BRL — Southeast Iowa Regional Airport 46 mi, ~70m drive

Cedar Rapids, IA CID — The Eastern Iowa Airport 9 mi, ~14m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between BRL and CID. 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

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly
Door-to-door time	1h 37m	3h 33m
Total cost (1 person)	$57	$123
Carbon footprint	40 kg CO₂	18 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 16, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

98.3 mi 1h 58m

via US 218; IA 27, US 34; IA 163

Shortest (+1 min)

84.6 mi 1h 59m

via US 218; IA 27, IA 1, IA 1; IA 92

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Fairfield, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.