Drive or Fly: Fort Morgan, CO to Aurora, CO?

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 DEN–DEN. At 83 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

1h 31m

Distance

83 mi

Total Cost

$53

CO2

34 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$18
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 46m

8m in the air

Air Distance

65 mi

Total Cost

$123

CO2

17 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Fort Morgan, CO → DEN 80m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 8m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
DEN → Aurora, CO 18m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $123) $123

Airports

Fort Morgan, CO DEN — Denver International Airport 54 mi, ~80m drive
Aurora, CO DEN — Denver International Airport 12 mi, ~18m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between DEN and DEN. 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

3h 14m

2h 10m on rail

Total Cost

$14

CO2

4 kg

Route

California Zephyr

Door-to-Door Timeline

Fort Morgan, CO → Fort Morgan Amtrak Station 10m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 130m
Arrival 10m
Denver → Aurora, CO 14m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $14) $14

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

Stations

From Fort Morgan Amtrak Station 0 mi, ~10m drive
To Denver 9 mi, ~14m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~1/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 1 trips per week
Amtrak delays can be unpredictable
Need transportation to/from station
Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

3h 22m

1h 5m on road

Total Cost

$6

CO2

3 kg

Route

Greyhound US0560S

Door-to-Door Timeline

Fort Morgan, CO → Harmony Transfer Centre (FON6) 98m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 65m
Arrival 10m
Denver Union Station Bus Concourse (DEN6) → Aurora, CO 14m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $6) $6

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

Stations

From FON6 — Harmony Transfer Centre 66 mi, ~98m drive
To DEN6 — Denver Union Station Bus Concourse 9 mi, ~14m 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 1h 31m 3h 46m 3h 14m 3h 22m
Total cost (1 person) $53 $123 $14 $6
Carbon footprint 34 kg CO2 17 kg CO2 4 kg CO2 3 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 13, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Fort Morgan, CO to Aurora, CO with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.