Drive or Fly: Great River, NY to Brooklyn, NY?

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 ISP–JFK. At 47 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

1h 6m

Distance

47.3 mi

Total Cost

$46

CO2

19 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$11
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 29m

5m in the air

Air Distance

42 mi

Total Cost

$122

CO2

11 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Great River, NY → ISP 10m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 5m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
JFK → Brooklyn, NY 14m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $122) $122

Airports

Great River, NY ISP — Long Island MacArthur Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive
Brooklyn, NY JFK — John F. Kennedy International Airport 9 mi, ~14m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between ISP and JFK. 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 34m

58m on rail

Total Cost

$6

CO2

2 kg

Route

Northeast Regional

Door-to-Door Timeline

Great River, NY → Stamford Amtrak Station 45m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 58m
Arrival 10m
Ny Moynihan Train Hall At Penn Station → Brooklyn, NY 11m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $6) $6

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

Stations

From Stamford Amtrak Station 30 mi, ~45m drive
To Ny Moynihan Train Hall At Penn Station 7 mi, ~11m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~100/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
Amtrak delays can be unpredictable
Need transportation to/from station
Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

Drive Fly Train
Door-to-door time 1h 6m 2h 29m 2h 34m
Total cost (1 person) $46 $122 $6
Carbon footprint 19 kg CO2 11 kg CO2 2 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 12, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Great River, NY to Brooklyn, NY with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.