Drive or Fly: Naperville, IL to Kingston, 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 51 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

1h 7m

Distance

51 mi

Total Cost

$46

CO2

21 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$11

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

5m in the air

Air Distance

38 mi

Total Cost

$122

CO2

10 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Naperville, IL → ORD 27m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 5m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

RFD → Kingston, IL 28m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $122) $122

Airports

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

Kingston, IL RFD — Chicago Rockford International Airport 19 mi, ~28m 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

1h 59m

21m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

1 kg

Route

Carl Sandburg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Naperville, IL → Naperville Amtrak Station 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 21m

Arrival 10m

Plano Amtrak Station → Kingston, IL 48m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $4) $4

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

Stations

From Naperville Amtrak Station 0 mi, ~10m drive

To Plano Amtrak Station 32 mi, ~48m 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

1h 37m

45m on road

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

Greyhound US0155S

Door-to-Door Timeline

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

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 45m

Arrival 10m

Dekalb (Holmes Student Center) (DKB6) → Kingston, IL 17m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $3) $3

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

Stations

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

To DKB6 — Dekalb (Holmes Student Center) 12 mi, ~17m 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 7m	3h	1h 59m	1h 37m
Total cost (1 person)	$46	$122	$4	$3
Carbon footprint	21 kg CO₂	10 kg CO₂	1 kg CO₂	2 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

51 mi 1h 7m

via I 88; IL 110, CH 5, South Annie Glidden Road

Shortest (+10 min)

47.1 mi 1h 17m

via IL 64, IL 38, IL 23

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