Drive or Fly: Hialeah, FL to Lake Wales, FL?

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 OPF–LAL. At 191 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

4h 2m

Distance

191.4 mi

Total Cost

$78

CO2

77 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$43

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 11m

20m in the air

Air Distance

163 mi

Total Cost

$127

CO2

41 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Hialeah, FL → OPF 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 20m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

LAL → Lake Wales, FL 41m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $127) $127

Airports

Hialeah, FL OPF — Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport 3 mi, ~10m drive

Lake Wales, FL LAL — Lakeland Linder International Airport 27 mi, ~41m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between OPF and LAL. 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

4h 56m

3h 49m on rail

Total Cost

$35

CO2

10 kg

Route

Floridian

Door-to-Door Timeline

Hialeah, FL → Miami Amtrak Station 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 229m

Arrival 10m

Winter Haven → Lake Wales, FL 17m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $35) $35

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

Stations

From Miami Amtrak Station 1 mi, ~10m drive

To Winter Haven 11 mi, ~17m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~2/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 2 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

6h 55m

6h 10m on road

Total Cost

$18

CO2

10 kg

Route

Greyhound US0740s

Door-to-Door Timeline

Hialeah, FL → Miami Intermodal Center (MID6) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 370m

Arrival 10m

Lake Wales (Citgo) (LWA6) → Lake Wales, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $18) $18

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

Stations

From MID6 — Miami Intermodal Center 4 mi, ~10m drive

To LWA6 — Lake Wales (Citgo) 1 mi, ~10m 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	4h 2m	3h 11m	4h 56m	6h 55m
Total cost (1 person)	$78	$127	$35	$18
Carbon footprint	77 kg CO₂	41 kg CO₂	10 kg CO₂	10 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 Hialeah, FL to Lake Wales, FL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.