Drive or Fly: Lakewood, OH to Bethlehem, OH?

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 CLE–CMH. At 88 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

1h 48m

Distance

88.6 mi

Total Cost

$55

CO2

36 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$20

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 46m

8m in the air

Air Distance

65 mi

Total Cost

$123

CO2

17 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lakewood, OH → CLE 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 8m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

CMH → Bethlehem, OH 88m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $123) $123

Airports

Lakewood, OH CLE — Cleveland Hopkins International Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive

Bethlehem, OH CMH — John Glenn Columbus International Airport 59 mi, ~88m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between CLE and CMH. 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

2h 55m

1h 3m on rail

Total Cost

$11

CO2

3 kg

Route

Floridian

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lakewood, OH → Cleveland 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 63m

Arrival 10m

Sandusky Amtrak Station → Bethlehem, OH 62m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $11) $11

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

Stations

From Cleveland 6 mi, ~10m drive

To Sandusky Amtrak Station 42 mi, ~62m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~2/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 2 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

2h 22m

1h 25m on road

Total Cost

CO2

4 kg

Route

Greyhound US0105

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lakewood, OH → Cleveland Downtown (E 12th St) (CLV6) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 85m

Arrival 10m

Mansfield Bus Stop (MSN6) → Bethlehem, OH 22m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $8) $8

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

Stations

From CLV6 — Cleveland Downtown (E 12th St) 6 mi, ~10m drive

To MSN6 — Mansfield Bus Stop 15 mi, ~22m 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	1h 48m	3h 46m	2h 55m	2h 22m
Total cost (1 person)	$55	$123	$11	$8
Carbon footprint	36 kg CO₂	17 kg CO₂	3 kg CO₂	4 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.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

88.6 mi 1h 48m

via I 71, US 30

Shortest (+9 min)

86.5 mi 1h 57m

via I 90, SR 61, Whittlesey Avenue

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Lakewood, OH to Bethlehem, OH with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.