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Drive or Fly: Lone Star, TX to San Antonio, 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 GRK–SAT. At 147 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

2h 48m

Distance

147.6 mi

Total Cost

$68

CO2

60 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$33
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 39m

15m in the air

Air Distance

125 mi

Total Cost

$125

CO2

32 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lone Star, TX → GRK 12m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 15m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
SAT → San Antonio, TX 12m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $125) $125

Airports

Lone Star, TX GRK — Killeen Regional Airport / Robert Gray Army Airfield 8 mi, ~12m drive
San Antonio, TX SAT — San Antonio International Airport 8 mi, ~12m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between GRK and SAT. 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

4h 15m

3h 30m on road

Total Cost

$14

CO2

7 kg

Route

Greyhound US1159S

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lone Star, TX → Killeen (KLE6) 10m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 210m
Arrival 10m
San Antonio Bus Station (SNT6) → San Antonio, TX 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $14) $14

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

Stations

From KLE6 — Killeen 2 mi, ~10m drive
To SNT6 — San Antonio 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 Bus
Door-to-door time 2h 48m 2h 39m 4h 15m
Total cost (1 person) $68 $125 $14
Carbon footprint 60 kg CO2 32 kg CO2 7 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 16, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest
147.6 mi 2h 47m

via I 35, I 35; US 290, TX 195

Alternative (+1 min)
164.1 mi 2h 49m

via TX 130 Toll, TX 195, I 10; US 90; TX 130

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Lone Star, TX to San Antonio, TX with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.