Drive or Fly: McMurray, PA to Charleroi, PA?

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 PIT–LBE. At 18 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

34m

Distance

18.9 mi

Total Cost

$39

CO2

8 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$4

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 9m

2m in the air

Air Distance

14 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

4 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

McMurray, PA → PIT 25m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 2m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

LBE → Charleroi, PA 42m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

McMurray, PA PIT — Pittsburgh International Airport 17 mi, ~25m drive

Charleroi, PA LBE — Arnold Palmer Regional Airport 28 mi, ~42m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between PIT and LBE. 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

3h 5m

1h 39m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

Floridian

Door-to-Door Timeline

McMurray, PA → Pittsburgh Amtrak Station 19m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 99m

Arrival 10m

Connellsville Amtrak → Charleroi, PA 27m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $7) $7

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

Stations

From Pittsburgh Amtrak Station 12 mi, ~19m drive

To Connellsville Amtrak 18 mi, ~27m 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 17m

1h on road

Total Cost

CO2

1 kg

Route

Greyhound US0400s

Door-to-Door Timeline

McMurray, PA → Pittsburgh Intermodal Station (PGH6) 19m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 60m

Arrival 10m

Greensburg Westmoreland Transit Ctr (GSG6) → Charleroi, PA 33m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $3) $3

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

Stations

From PGH6 — Pittsburgh Intermodal Station 12 mi, ~19m drive

To GSG6 — Greensburg Westmoreland Transit Ctr 22 mi, ~33m 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	34m	3h 9m	3h 5m	2h 17m
Total cost (1 person)	$39	$121	$7	$3
Carbon footprint	8 kg CO₂	4 kg CO₂	2 kg CO₂	1 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 13, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from McMurray, PA to Charleroi, PA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.