Drive or Fly: Granite City, IL to Edwardsville, 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 STL–BLV. At 15 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

25m

Distance

15.8 mi

Total Cost

$39

CO2

6 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$4

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

2m in the air

Air Distance

13 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

3 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Granite City, IL → STL 19m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 2m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

BLV → Edwardsville, IL 29m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

Granite City, IL STL — St. Louis Lambert International Airport 12 mi, ~19m drive

Edwardsville, IL BLV — Scott AFB/Midamerica Airport 20 mi, ~29m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between STL and BLV. 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

1h 52m

42m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

1 kg

Route

Lincoln Service

Door-to-Door Timeline

Granite City, IL → St. Louis 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 42m

Arrival 10m

Alton Amtrak Station → Edwardsville, IL 20m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $4) $4

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

Stations

From St. Louis 6 mi, ~10m drive

To Alton Amtrak Station 13 mi, ~20m 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	25m	2h 50m	1h 52m
Total cost (1 person)	$39	$121	$4
Carbon footprint	6 kg CO₂	3 kg CO₂	1 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 14, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Granite City, IL to Edwardsville, IL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.