Drive or Fly: Frankfort Square, IL to Champaign, IL?

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 MDW–CMI. At 111 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

1h 50m

Distance

111.8 mi

Total Cost

$60

CO2

45 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$25

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 50m

12m in the air

Air Distance

100 mi

Total Cost

$124

CO2

25 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Frankfort Square, IL → MDW 28m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 12m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

CMI → Champaign, IL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $124) $124

Airports

Frankfort Square, IL MDW — Chicago Midway International Airport 19 mi, ~28m drive

Champaign, IL CMI — University of Illinois Willard Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between MDW and CMI. 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

2h 51m

1h 50m on rail

Total Cost

$21

CO2

6 kg

Route

Illini

Door-to-Door Timeline

Frankfort Square, IL → Homewood 11m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 110m

Arrival 10m

Champaign-Urbana → Champaign, IL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $21) $21

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

Stations

From Homewood 8 mi, ~11m drive

To Champaign-Urbana 0 mi, ~10m 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 28m

2h 28m on road

Total Cost

$13

CO2

7 kg

Route

FlixBus N2521

Door-to-Door Timeline

Frankfort Square, IL → Chicago (95th / Dan Ryan) (CHA6) 25m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 148m

Arrival 10m

Champaign Intermodal Trans Ctr (CPN6) → Champaign, IL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $13) $13

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

Stations

From CHA6 — Chicago (95th / Dan Ryan) 17 mi, ~25m drive

To CPN6 — Champaign Intermodal Trans Ctr 0 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~14/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

− 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 50m	2h 50m	2h 51m	3h 28m
Total cost (1 person)	$60	$124	$21	$13
Carbon footprint	45 kg CO₂	25 kg CO₂	6 kg CO₂	7 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 16, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Frankfort Square, IL to Champaign, IL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.