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Drive or Fly: Live Oak, TX to Arlington, TX?

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 SAT–DFW. At 264 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

4h 46m

Distance

264.2 mi

Total Cost

$93

CO2

107 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$58
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

2h 58m

28m in the air

Air Distance

231 mi

Total Cost

$184

CO2

59 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Live Oak, TX → SAT 12m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 28m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
DFW → Arlington, TX 18m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $129) $129
Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Live Oak, TX SAT — San Antonio International Airport 8 mi, ~12m drive
Arlington, TX DFW — Dallas Fort Worth International Airport 12 mi, ~18m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between SAT and DFW. 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
− May need a rental car at destination
− Luggage fees and restrictions
− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

8h 28m

7h 9m on rail

Total Cost

$48

CO2

14 kg

Route

Texas Eagle

Door-to-Door Timeline

Live Oak, TX → San Antonio Amtrak Station 20m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 429m
Arrival 10m
Fort Worth → Arlington, TX 19m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $48) $48

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

Stations

From San Antonio Amtrak Station 13 mi, ~20m drive
To Fort Worth 13 mi, ~19m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~9/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 9 trips per week
− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable
− Need transportation to/from station
− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

7h 27m

6h 25m on road

Total Cost

$28

CO2

15 kg

Route

FlixBus 2230

Door-to-Door Timeline

Live Oak, TX → San Antonio Pearl District (2SP) 18m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 385m
Arrival 10m
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (2DF) → Arlington, TX 19m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $28) $28

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

Stations

From 2SP — San Antonio Pearl District 12 mi, ~18m drive
To 2DF — Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport 13 mi, ~19m 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 4h 46m 2h 58m 8h 28m 7h 27m
Total cost (1 person) $93 $184 $48 $28
Carbon footprint 107 kg CO2 59 kg CO2 14 kg CO2 15 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 17, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Live Oak, TX to Arlington, TX with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.