Drive or Fly: New Hampton, IA to Urbandale, IA?

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 ALO–DSM. At 168 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 19m

Distance

168.6 mi

Total Cost

$72

CO2

68 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$37

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 18m

15m in the air

Air Distance

122 mi

Total Cost

$125

CO2

31 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

New Hampton, IA → ALO 52m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 15m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

DSM → Urbandale, IA 11m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $125) $125

Airports

New Hampton, IA ALO — Waterloo Regional Airport 35 mi, ~52m drive

Urbandale, IA DSM — Des Moines International Airport 7 mi, ~11m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between ALO and DSM. 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

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly
Door-to-door time	3h 19m	3h 18m
Total cost (1 person)	$72	$125
Carbon footprint	68 kg CO₂	31 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

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 18, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

168.6 mi 3h 19m

via I 35, US 18; US 218; IA 27, US 18

Shortest (+1 min)

152.7 mi 3h 20m

via IA 330, US 18; US 63, IA 14

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from New Hampton, IA to Urbandale, IA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.