Drive or Fly: Kansas City, MO to St. Louis, MO?

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 MCI–STL. At 248 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

4h 47m

Distance

248.3 mi

Total Cost

$90

CO2

100 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$55

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 12m

29m in the air

Air Distance

238 mi

Total Cost

$185

CO2

61 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Kansas City, MO → MCI 24m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 29m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

STL → St. Louis, MO 19m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $130) $130

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Kansas City, MO MCI — Kansas City International Airport 16 mi, ~24m drive

St. Louis, MO STL — St. Louis Lambert International Airport 13 mi, ~19m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between MCI and STL. 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

− May need a rental car at destination

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

6h 40m

5h 40m on rail

Total Cost

$48

CO2

14 kg

Route

Lincoln Service Missouri River Runner

Door-to-Door Timeline

Kansas City, MO → Kansas City 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 340m

Arrival 10m

St. Louis → St. Louis, MO 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $48) $48

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

Stations

From Kansas City 1 mi, ~10m drive

To St. Louis 0 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~1/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 1 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

4h 45m

4h on road

Total Cost

$26

CO2

14 kg

Route

Greyhound US0136

Door-to-Door Timeline

Kansas City, MO → Kansas City Bus Station (KCD6) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 240m

Arrival 10m

St Louis Bus Station (SLD6) → St. Louis, MO 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $26) $26

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

Stations

From KCD6 — Kansas City Bus Station 1 mi, ~10m drive

To SLD6 — St Louis Bus Station 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	Train	Bus
Door-to-door time	4h 47m	3h 12m	6h 40m	4h 45m
Total cost (1 person)	$90	$185	$48	$26
Carbon footprint	100 kg CO₂	61 kg CO₂	14 kg CO₂	14 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 Kansas City, MO to St. Louis, MO with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.