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Drive or Fly: Fayetteville, AR to Fairfield Bay, AR?

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 XNA–LIT. At 153 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 47m

Distance

153.6 mi

Total Cost

$69

CO2

62 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$34
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

4h 9m

13m in the air

Air Distance

110 mi

Total Cost

$124

CO2

28 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Fayetteville, AR → XNA 26m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 13m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
LIT → Fairfield Bay, AR 90m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $124) $124

Airports

Fayetteville, AR XNA — Northwest Arkansas National Airport 17 mi, ~26m drive
Fairfield Bay, AR LIT — Bill & Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field 60 mi, ~90m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between XNA and LIT. 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 3h 47m 4h 9m
Total cost (1 person) $69 $124
Carbon footprint 62 kg CO2 28 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
153.6 mi 3h 47m

via US 65, US 412, AR 45

Alternative (+17 min)
196.4 mi 4h 4m

via I 40; US 71, I 49, AR 9

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Fayetteville, AR to Fairfield Bay, AR with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.