Drive or Fly: Fort Madison, IA to Iowa City, 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 84 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

1h 28m

Distance

84.1 mi

Total Cost

$54

CO2

34 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$19

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

2h 58m

9m in the air

Air Distance

72 mi

Total Cost

$123

CO2

18 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Fort Madison, IA → BRL 22m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 9m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

CID → Iowa City, IA 27m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $123) $123

Airports

Fort Madison, IA BRL — Southeast Iowa Regional Airport 15 mi, ~22m drive

Iowa City, IA CID — The Eastern Iowa Airport 18 mi, ~27m 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 28m	2h 58m
Total cost (1 person)	$54	$123
Carbon footprint	34 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 12, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Fort Madison, IA to Iowa City, IA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.