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Drive or Fly: Pearl, MS to Southaven, MS?

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 JAN–MEM. At 200 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 41m

Distance

200.5 mi

Total Cost

$79

CO2

81 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$44
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

2h 43m

23m in the air

Air Distance

188 mi

Total Cost

$183

CO2

48 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Pearl, MS → JAN 10m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 23m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
MEM → Southaven, MS 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $128) $128
Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Pearl, MS JAN — Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport 4 mi, ~10m drive
Southaven, MS MEM — Memphis International Airport 4 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between JAN and MEM. 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
May need a rental car at destination
Luggage fees and restrictions
Less flexibility for stops along the way

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

5h 50m

4h 45m on rail

Total Cost

$39

CO2

11 kg

Route

City of New Orleans

Door-to-Door Timeline

Pearl, MS → Jackson 10m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 285m
Arrival 10m
Memphis → Southaven, MS 15m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $39) $39

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

Stations

From Jackson 4 mi, ~10m drive
To Memphis 10 mi, ~15m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~4/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 4 trips per week
Amtrak delays can be unpredictable
Need transportation to/from station
Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

4h 10m

3h 25m on road

Total Cost

$21

CO2

11 kg

Route

Greyhound US1173

Door-to-Door Timeline

Pearl, MS → Jackson (Union Station) (JXD6) 10m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 205m
Arrival 10m
Memphis Bus Station (MEM6) → Southaven, MS 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $21) $21

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

Stations

From JXD6 — Jackson (Union Station) 4 mi, ~10m drive
To MEM6 — Memphis Bus Station 5 mi, ~10m 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 41m 2h 43m 5h 50m 4h 10m
Total cost (1 person) $79 $183 $39 $21
Carbon footprint 81 kg CO2 48 kg CO2 11 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 15, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Pearl, MS to Southaven, MS with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.