Drive or Fly: Jacksonville, FL to Saint Augustine, 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–UST. At 40 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

54m

Distance

40.7 mi

Total Cost

$44

CO2

16 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$9

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 31m

4m in the air

Air Distance

36 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

9 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Jacksonville, FL → JAX 17m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 4m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

UST → Saint Augustine, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

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

Saint Augustine, FL UST — Northeast Florida Regional Airport 5 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between JAX and UST. 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 30m

1h 1m on rail

Total Cost

$10

CO2

3 kg

Route

Floridian

Door-to-Door Timeline

Jacksonville, FL → Jacksonville 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 61m

Arrival 10m

Palatka Amtrak → Saint Augustine, FL 39m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $10) $10

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

Stations

From Jacksonville 5 mi, ~10m drive

To Palatka Amtrak 26 mi, ~39m 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

2h 33m

1h 13m on road

Total Cost

CO2

4 kg

Route

FlixBus 2431

Door-to-Door Timeline

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

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 73m

Arrival 10m

Palm Coast Bus Stop (PLM6) → Saint Augustine, FL 45m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $7) $7

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

Stations

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

To PLM6 — Palm Coast Bus Stop 30 mi, ~45m 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	54m	2h 31m	2h 30m	2h 33m
Total cost (1 person)	$44	$121	$10	$7
Carbon footprint	16 kg CO₂	9 kg CO₂	3 kg CO₂	4 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 13, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Jacksonville, FL to Saint Augustine, FL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.