Drive or Fly: Owensville, MO to Lee's Summit, MO?

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 COU–MCI. At 178 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 8m

Distance

178.7 mi

Total Cost

$74

CO2

72 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$39

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

4h 23m

19m in the air

Air Distance

160 mi

Total Cost

$126

CO2

41 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Owensville, MO → COU 76m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 19m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

MCI → Lee's Summit, MO 48m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $126) $126

Airports

Owensville, MO COU — Columbia Regional Airport 51 mi, ~76m drive

Lee's Summit, MO MCI — Kansas City International Airport 32 mi, ~48m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between COU and MCI. 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 38m

3h 10m on rail

Total Cost

$32

CO2

9 kg

Route

Lincoln Service Missouri River Runner

Door-to-Door Timeline

Owensville, MO → Hermann 38m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 190m

Arrival 10m

Lee'S Summit Amtrak → Lee's Summit, MO 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $32) $32

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

Stations

From Hermann 25 mi, ~38m drive

To Lee'S Summit Amtrak 0 mi, ~10m 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

6h 20m

4h 45m on road

Total Cost

$21

CO2

11 kg

Route

Greyhound US0175s

Door-to-Door Timeline

Owensville, MO → Washington (WAS6) 45m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 285m

Arrival 10m

Kansas City Bus Station (KCD6) → Lee's Summit, MO 25m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $21) $21

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

Stations

From WAS6 — Washington 30 mi, ~45m drive

To KCD6 — Kansas City Bus Station 16 mi, ~25m 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 8m	4h 23m	4h 38m	6h 20m
Total cost (1 person)	$74	$126	$32	$21
Carbon footprint	72 kg CO₂	41 kg CO₂	9 kg CO₂	11 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 16, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

178.8 mi 3h 50m

via US 50, US 63, MO 28

Alternative (+14 min)

205.9 mi 4h 5m

via I 70; US 40, US 63, MO 28

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Owensville, MO to Lee's Summit, MO with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.