Drive or Fly: Lillington, NC to West Raleigh, NC?

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 FAY–RDU. At 32 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

50m

Distance

32 mi

Total Cost

$42

CO2

13 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$7

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

3m in the air

Air Distance

28 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

7 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lillington, NC → FAY 43m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 3m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

RDU → West Raleigh, NC 14m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

Lillington, NC FAY — Fayetteville Regional Airport - Grannis Field 28 mi, ~43m drive

West Raleigh, NC RDU — Raleigh-Durham International Airport 9 mi, ~14m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between FAY and RDU. 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

1h 57m

50m on road

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

Greyhound US0650s

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lillington, NC → Sanford (Sam's Place) (SFO6) 32m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 50m

Arrival 10m

Raleigh Bus Station (RAL6) → West Raleigh, NC 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $4) $4

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

Stations

From SFO6 — Sanford (Sam's Place) 21 mi, ~32m drive

To RAL6 — Raleigh Bus Station 3 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	Bus
Door-to-door time	50m	3h	1h 57m
Total cost (1 person)	$42	$121	$4
Carbon footprint	13 kg CO₂	7 kg CO₂	2 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 13, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Lillington, NC to West Raleigh, NC with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.