Drive or Fly: Jonesboro, LA to Lafayette, LA?

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 MLU–LFT. At 160 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

2h 33m

Distance

160.2 mi

Total Cost

$71

CO2

65 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$36
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 33m

17m in the air

Air Distance

145 mi

Total Cost

$126

CO2

37 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Jonesboro, LA → MLU 66m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 17m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
LFT → Lafayette, LA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $126) $126

Airports

Jonesboro, LA MLU — Monroe Regional Airport 44 mi, ~66m drive
Lafayette, LA LFT — Lafayette Regional Airport 2 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between MLU and LFT. 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

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

4h 25m

3h 40m on road

Total Cost

$16

CO2

8 kg

Route

Greyhound US1170s

Door-to-Door Timeline

Jonesboro, LA → Jonesboro (Super Save#2-Chevron) (JER6) 10m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 220m
Arrival 10m
Lafayette Transit System (LAF6) → Lafayette, LA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $16) $16

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

Stations

From JER6 — Jonesboro (Super Save#2-Chevron) 1 mi, ~10m drive
To LAF6 — Lafayette Transit System 0 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 Bus
Door-to-door time 2h 33m 3h 33m 4h 25m
Total cost (1 person) $71 $126 $16
Carbon footprint 65 kg CO2 37 kg CO2 8 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: 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 Jonesboro, LA to Lafayette, LA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.