Drive or Fly: Fairview Park, IN to Utah, IN?

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 CMI–CVG. At 180 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 44m

Distance

180.5 mi

Total Cost

$75

CO2

73 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$40

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 54m

17m in the air

Air Distance

141 mi

Total Cost

$126

CO2

36 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Fairview Park, IN → CMI 78m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 17m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

CVG → Utah, IN 19m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $126) $126

Airports

Fairview Park, IN CMI — University of Illinois Willard Airport 52 mi, ~78m drive

Utah, IN CVG — Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport 12 mi, ~19m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between CMI and CVG. 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

7h 2m

4h 57m on rail

Total Cost

$28

CO2

8 kg

Route

Cardinal

Door-to-Door Timeline

Fairview Park, IN → Crawfordsville Amtrak 56m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 297m

Arrival 10m

Cincinnati Union Terminal → Utah, IN 29m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $28) $28

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

Stations

From Crawfordsville Amtrak 37 mi, ~56m drive

To Cincinnati Union Terminal 20 mi, ~29m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~3/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 3 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Train
Door-to-door time	3h 44m	3h 54m	7h 2m
Total cost (1 person)	$75	$126	$28
Carbon footprint	73 kg CO₂	36 kg CO₂	8 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 — 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 17, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

180.5 mi 3h 43m

via I 70; US 40, I 74; US 421, SR 63

Shortest (+30 min)

177.7 mi 4h 14m

via SR 46, US 50, SR 46; SR 135

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Fairview Park, IN to Utah, IN with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.