Drive or Fly: Granite City, IL to Springfield, 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–SPI. At 92 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

1h 51m

Distance

92.9 mi

Total Cost

$56

CO2

38 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$21

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 39m

10m in the air

Air Distance

81 mi

Total Cost

$123

CO2

21 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Granite City, IL → STL 19m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 10m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

SPI → Springfield, IL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $123) $123

Airports

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

Springfield, IL SPI — Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport 3 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between STL and SPI. 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 41m

1h 41m on rail

Total Cost

$17

CO2

5 kg

Route

Lincoln Service

Door-to-Door Timeline

Granite City, IL → St. Louis 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 101m

Arrival 10m

Springfield → Springfield, IL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $17) $17

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

Stations

From St. Louis 6 mi, ~10m drive

To Springfield 0 mi, ~10m 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

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

2h 33m

1h 48m on road

Total Cost

$10

CO2

5 kg

Route

FlixBus N2521

Door-to-Door Timeline

Granite City, IL → St Louis Bus Station (SLD6) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 108m

Arrival 10m

Springfield SMTD Transfer Center (SNG6) → Springfield, IL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $10) $10

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

Stations

From SLD6 — St Louis Bus Station 6 mi, ~10m drive

To SNG6 — Springfield SMTD Transfer Center 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 51m	2h 39m	2h 41m	2h 33m
Total cost (1 person)	$56	$123	$17	$10
Carbon footprint	38 kg CO₂	21 kg CO₂	5 kg CO₂	5 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 12, 2026.

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