Drive or Fly: McCamey, 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 MAF–SAT. At 287 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

4h 53m

Distance

287.5 mi

Total Cost

$99

CO2

116 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$64
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

4h 6m

30m in the air

Air Distance

252 mi

Total Cost

$185

CO2

64 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

McCamey, TX → MAF 84m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 30m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
SAT → San Antonio, TX 12m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $130) $130
Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

McCamey, TX MAF — Midland International Air and Space Port 56 mi, ~84m drive
San Antonio, TX SAT — San Antonio International Airport 8 mi, ~12m drive

No scheduled flights found

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

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

8h 48m

6h 14m on rail

Total Cost

$48

CO2

14 kg

Route

Texas Eagle

Door-to-Door Timeline

McCamey, TX → Sanderson Amtrak 104m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 374m
Arrival 10m
San Antonio Amtrak Station → San Antonio, TX 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $48) $48

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

Stations

From Sanderson Amtrak 70 mi, ~104m drive
To San Antonio Amtrak Station 1 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~4/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 4 trips per week
Amtrak delays can be unpredictable
Need transportation to/from station
Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

7h 6m

5h 25m on road

Total Cost

$31

CO2

16 kg

Route

Greyhound US1001

Door-to-Door Timeline

McCamey, TX → Fort Stockton (Stripes) (FTS6) 66m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 325m
Arrival 10m
San Antonio Bus Station (SNT6) → San Antonio, TX 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $31) $31

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

Stations

From FTS6 — Fort Stockton (Stripes) 44 mi, ~66m 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 Train Bus
Door-to-door time 4h 53m 4h 6m 8h 48m 7h 6m
Total cost (1 person) $99 $185 $48 $31
Carbon footprint 116 kg CO2 64 kg CO2 14 kg CO2 16 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 12, 2026.

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