Drive or Fly: Milwaukee, WI to Chilton, WI?

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 MKE–ATW. At 76 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

1h 47m

Distance

76.1 mi

Total Cost

$52

CO2

31 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$17

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 54m

8m in the air

Air Distance

70 mi

Total Cost

$123

CO2

18 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Milwaukee, WI → MKE 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 8m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

ATW → Chilton, WI 36m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $123) $123

Airports

Milwaukee, WI MKE — General Mitchell International Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive

Chilton, WI ATW — Appleton International Airport 24 mi, ~36m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between MKE and ATW. 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 36m

1h 10m on rail

Total Cost

$12

CO2

3 kg

Route

Borealis

Door-to-Door Timeline

Milwaukee, WI → Milwaukee 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 70m

Arrival 10m

Columbus Amtrak Station → Chilton, WI 96m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $12) $12

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

Stations

From Milwaukee 1 mi, ~10m drive

To Columbus Amtrak Station 64 mi, ~96m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~3/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 3 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

3h 15m

2h 10m on road

Total Cost

$10

CO2

5 kg

Route

FlixBus 2550

Door-to-Door Timeline

Milwaukee, WI → Milwaukee Intermodal Station (MKE6) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 130m

Arrival 10m

Appleton Transit Center (XWI6) → Chilton, WI 30m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $10) $10

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

Stations

From MKE6 — Milwaukee Intermodal Station 1 mi, ~10m drive

To XWI6 — Appleton Transit Center 20 mi, ~30m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~14/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

− 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	1h 47m	2h 54m	3h 36m	3h 15m
Total cost (1 person)	$52	$123	$12	$10
Carbon footprint	31 kg CO₂	18 kg CO₂	3 kg CO₂	5 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 Milwaukee, WI to Chilton, WI with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.