Drive or Fly: Naperville, IL to Byron, IL?

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 ORD–RFD. At 75 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

1h 33m

Distance

75.9 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 48m

7m in the air

Air Distance

62 mi

Total Cost

$122

CO2

16 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Naperville, IL → ORD 27m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 7m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

RFD → Byron, IL 14m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $122) $122

Airports

Naperville, IL ORD — Chicago O'Hare International Airport 18 mi, ~27m drive

Byron, IL RFD — Chicago Rockford International Airport 9 mi, ~14m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between ORD and RFD. 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

2h 40m

49m on rail

Total Cost

$11

CO2

3 kg

Route

Carl Sandburg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Naperville, IL → Naperville Amtrak Station 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 49m

Arrival 10m

Mendota Amtrak Station → Byron, IL 61m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $11) $11

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

Stations

From Naperville Amtrak Station 0 mi, ~10m drive

To Mendota Amtrak Station 41 mi, ~61m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~1/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 1 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

2h 11m

1h 10m on road

Total Cost

CO2

3 kg

Route

Greyhound US0155S

Door-to-Door Timeline

Naperville, IL → Naperville (Route 59 Metra Station) (NEM6) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 70m

Arrival 10m

Rochelle (Petro Rochelle Travel) (RCL6) → Byron, IL 26m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $5) $5

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

Stations

From NEM6 — Naperville (Route 59 Metra Station) 3 mi, ~10m drive

To RCL6 — Rochelle (Petro Rochelle Travel) 17 mi, ~26m 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 33m	2h 48m	2h 40m	2h 11m
Total cost (1 person)	$52	$122	$11	$5
Carbon footprint	31 kg CO₂	16 kg CO₂	3 kg CO₂	3 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 17, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

75.9 mi 1h 32m

via I 88; IL 110, I 39; US 51, IL 72

Shortest (+15 min)

75.8 mi 1h 48m

via IL 64, I 88; IL 110, IL 72

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Naperville, IL to Byron, IL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.