Drive or Fly: Hill City, SD to Spearfish, SD?

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 RAP–RAP. At 57 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

1h 14m

Distance

57.3 mi

Total Cost

$48

CO2

23 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$13

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

5m in the air

Air Distance

41 mi

Total Cost

$122

CO2

10 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Hill City, SD → RAP 40m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 5m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

RAP → Spearfish, SD 75m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $122) $122

Airports

Hill City, SD RAP — Rapid City Regional Airport 27 mi, ~40m drive

Spearfish, SD RAP — Rapid City Regional Airport 50 mi, ~75m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between RAP and RAP. 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

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly
Door-to-door time	1h 14m	4h
Total cost (1 person)	$48	$122
Carbon footprint	23 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

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 17, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

57.3 mi 1h 22m

via US 385, US 85

Alternative (+7 min)

75.3 mi 1h 29m

via I 90; US 14; SD 79, US 16; US 385, I 90; US 14; SD 34

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Hill City, SD to Spearfish, SD with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.