Drive or Fly: Paterson, NJ to Cape May, NJ?

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 TEB–DOV. At 161 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

3h 19m

Distance

161.3 mi

Total Cost

$71

CO2

65 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$36

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 17m

17m in the air

Air Distance

142 mi

Total Cost

$126

CO2

36 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Paterson, NJ → TEB 11m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 17m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

DOV → Cape May, NJ 49m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $126) $126

Airports

Paterson, NJ TEB — Teterboro Airport 7 mi, ~11m drive

Cape May, NJ DOV — Dover Civil Air Terminal/Dover Air Force Base 33 mi, ~49m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between TEB and DOV. 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

3h 57m

1h 20m on rail

Total Cost

$20

CO2

6 kg

Route

Acela

Door-to-Door Timeline

Paterson, NJ → Newark 19m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 80m

Arrival 10m

Wilmington → Cape May, NJ 98m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $20) $20

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

Stations

From Newark 13 mi, ~19m drive

To Wilmington 65 mi, ~98m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~100/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

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Train
Door-to-door time	3h 19m	3h 17m	3h 57m
Total cost (1 person)	$71	$126	$20
Carbon footprint	65 kg CO₂	36 kg CO₂	6 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 — 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 13, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Paterson, NJ to Cape May, NJ with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.