Drive or Fly: Milwaukee, WI to Garfield, 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–CWA. At 152 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

3h 2m

Distance

152 mi

Total Cost

$69

CO2

61 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$34

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 1m

15m in the air

Air Distance

126 mi

Total Cost

$125

CO2

32 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Milwaukee, WI → MKE 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 15m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

CWA → Garfield, WI 36m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $125) $125

Airports

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

Garfield, WI CWA — Central Wisconsin Airport 24 mi, ~36m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between MKE and CWA. 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

4h 32m

1h 59m on rail

Total Cost

$20

CO2

6 kg

Route

Borealis

Door-to-Door Timeline

Milwaukee, WI → Milwaukee 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 119m

Arrival 10m

Wisconsin Dells Amtrak Station → Garfield, WI 103m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $20) $20

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

Stations

From Milwaukee 1 mi, ~10m drive

To Wisconsin Dells Amtrak Station 69 mi, ~103m 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

4h 50m

3h 45m on road

Total Cost

$15

CO2

8 kg

Route

Greyhound US0150S

Door-to-Door Timeline

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

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 225m

Arrival 10m

Wittenberg, WI (WII6) → Garfield, WI 30m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $15) $15

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

Stations

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

To WII6 — Wittenberg, WI 20 mi, ~30m 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	3h 2m	3h 1m	4h 32m	4h 50m
Total cost (1 person)	$69	$125	$20	$15
Carbon footprint	61 kg CO₂	32 kg CO₂	6 kg CO₂	8 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 Milwaukee, WI to Garfield, WI with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.