Drive or Fly: Jacksonville, FL to Fort Lauderdale, 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 JAX–FLL. At 321 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

6h 1m

Distance

321.6 mi

Total Cost

$106

CO2

130 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$71

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 4m

37m in the air

Air Distance

305 mi

Total Cost

$187

CO2

78 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Jacksonville, FL → JAX 17m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 37m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

FLL → Fort Lauderdale, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $132) $132

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Jacksonville, FL JAX — Jacksonville International Airport 11 mi, ~17m drive

Fort Lauderdale, FL FLL — Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport 4 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between JAX and FLL. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Saves about 2h 57m compared to driving

+ Less physical fatigue

+ Predictable arrival time

− Airport security and check-in overhead

− No scheduled commercial flights found for this route

− May need a rental car at destination

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

9h 17m

8h 17m on rail

Total Cost

$62

CO2

18 kg

Route

Silver Meteor

Door-to-Door Timeline

Jacksonville, FL → Jacksonville 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 497m

Arrival 10m

Fort Lauderdale Amtrak Station → Fort Lauderdale, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $62) $62

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

Stations

From Jacksonville 5 mi, ~10m drive

To Fort Lauderdale Amtrak Station 2 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~8/week

+ Spacious seating with legroom and power outlets

+ Walk around freely during the trip

+ Scenic views along the route

+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route

+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying

− Limited schedule — about 8 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

8h 45m

8h on road

Total Cost

$34

CO2

18 kg

Route

FlixBus 2431

Door-to-Door Timeline

Jacksonville, FL → Jacksonville (Downtown) (JAX6) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 480m

Arrival 10m

Ft Lauderdale Broward Park & Ride (FTL6) → Fort Lauderdale, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $34) $34

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

Stations

From JAX6 — Jacksonville (Downtown) 1 mi, ~10m drive

To FTL6 — Ft Lauderdale Broward Park & Ride 2 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	6h 1m	3h 4m	9h 17m	8h 45m
Total cost (1 person)	$106	$187	$62	$34
Carbon footprint	130 kg CO₂	78 kg CO₂	18 kg CO₂	18 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 Jacksonville, FL to Fort Lauderdale, FL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.