Drive or Fly: Lake City, IA to Sioux City, 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–SUX. At 101 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

2h 11m

Distance

101.4 mi

Total Cost

$57

CO2

41 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$22

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

10m in the air

Air Distance

87 mi

Total Cost

$123

CO2

22 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lake City, IA → FOD 51m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 10m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

SUX → Sioux City, IA 11m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $123) $123

Airports

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

Sioux City, IA SUX — Sioux Gateway Airport / Brigadier General Bud Day Field 7 mi, ~11m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between FOD and SUX. 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

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly
Door-to-door time	2h 11m	3h 12m
Total cost (1 person)	$57	$123
Carbon footprint	41 kg CO₂	22 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

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.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

101.4 mi 2h 11m

via US 20; US 59, US 20; US 71, US 71

Shortest (+5 min)

101.1 mi 2h 17m

via US 20, IA 175, CR M25

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