Drive or Fly: Lake Ozark, 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 TBN–STL. At 173 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 24m

Distance

173.5 mi

Total Cost

$73

CO2

70 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$38

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 37m

16m in the air

Air Distance

135 mi

Total Cost

$125

CO2

35 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lake Ozark, MO → TBN 62m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 16m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

STL → St. Louis, MO 19m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $125) $125

Airports

Lake Ozark, MO TBN — Waynesville-St. Robert Regional Airport-Forney Field 42 mi, ~62m drive

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

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between TBN 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

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

4h 16m

2h 31m on rail

Total Cost

$21

CO2

6 kg

Route

Lincoln Service Missouri River Runner

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lake Ozark, MO → Jefferson City Amtrak Station 55m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 151m

Arrival 10m

St. Louis → St. Louis, MO 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $21) $21

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

Stations

From Jefferson City Amtrak Station 37 mi, ~55m 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

5h 9m

3h 40m on road

Total Cost

$12

CO2

6 kg

Route

Greyhound US0175s

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lake Ozark, MO → Jefferson City (Conoco) (JFJ6) 54m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 220m

Arrival 10m

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

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $12) $12

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

Stations

From JFJ6 — Jefferson City (Conoco) 36 mi, ~54m 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	3h 24m	3h 37m	4h 16m	5h 9m
Total cost (1 person)	$73	$125	$21	$12
Carbon footprint	70 kg CO₂	35 kg CO₂	6 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: 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 16, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Lake Ozark, MO to St. Louis, MO with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.