Drive or Fly: Lake City, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA?

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 FOD–CID. At 188 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 42m

Distance

188.5 mi

Total Cost

$77

CO2

76 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$42

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 24m

19m in the air

Air Distance

159 mi

Total Cost

$126

CO2

41 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lake City, IA → FOD 51m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 19m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

CID → Cedar Rapids, IA 14m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $126) $126

Airports

Lake City, IA FOD — Fort Dodge Regional Airport 34 mi, ~51m drive

Cedar Rapids, IA CID — The Eastern Iowa Airport 9 mi, ~14m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between FOD and CID. 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

5h 2m

2h 10m on road

Total Cost

$12

CO2

6 kg

Route

Greyhound US0155S

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lake City, IA → Des Moines (DSM6) 110m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 130m

Arrival 10m

Iowa City (ICY6) → Cedar Rapids, IA 37m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $12) $12

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

Stations

From DSM6 — Des Moines 73 mi, ~110m drive

To ICY6 — Iowa City 25 mi, ~37m 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	3h 42m	3h 24m	5h 2m
Total cost (1 person)	$77	$126	$12
Carbon footprint	76 kg CO₂	41 kg CO₂	6 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 16, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Lake City, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.