Drive or Fly: Pampa, TX to Brownsville, TX?

Side-by-side comparison of driving versus flying for this route. Costs, time, and trade-offs at a glance.

Flying wins

Medium

Flying saves significant time at this distance. Consider driving only if you enjoy the road trip.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

14h 47m

Distance

838.5 mi

Total Cost

$365

CO2

339 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$185

Hotel (1 room, 1 night) $110

Meals (1 pax, 2 days) $70

+ No luggage restrictions or TSA lines

+ Stop anywhere along the route

+ Have your own car at the destination

− Requires 2 days of driving

− Driver fatigue on longer stretches

− Wear and tear on vehicle

− Fuel price fluctuations

Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

4h 45m

1h 24m in the air

Air Distance

697 mi

Total Cost

$291

CO2

178 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Pampa, TX → AMA 71m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 84m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

BRO → Brownsville, TX 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $236) $236

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Pampa, TX AMA — Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport 48 mi, ~71m drive

Brownsville, TX BRO — Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport 5 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between AMA and BRO. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Saves about 10h 2m compared to driving

+ Less physical fatigue

+ Predictable arrival time

− Airport security and check-in overhead

− No scheduled commercial flights found for this route

− May need a rental car at destination

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly
Door-to-door time	14h 47m	4h 45m
Total cost (1 person)	$365	$291
Carbon footprint	339 kg CO₂	178 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 17, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

838.5 mi 14h 46m

via US 83, I 37; US 281, US 84

Shortest (+1 min)

790.1 mi 14h 47m

via US 83, I 37; US 281, US 62; US 83

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Pampa, TX to Brownsville, TX with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.