Drive or Fly: Petal, MS to Madison, 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 PIB–JAN. At 102 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

2h 12m

Distance

102.9 mi

Total Cost

$58

CO2

42 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$23
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 41m

11m in the air

Air Distance

92 mi

Total Cost

$124

CO2

23 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Petal, MS → PIB 14m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 11m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
JAN → Madison, MS 16m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $124) $124

Airports

Petal, MS PIB — Hattiesburg Laurel Regional Airport 10 mi, ~14m drive
Madison, MS JAN — Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport 11 mi, ~16m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between PIB and JAN. 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

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

2h 28m

1h 35m on road

Total Cost

$9

CO2

5 kg

Route

Greyhound US1173

Door-to-Door Timeline

Petal, MS → Hattiesburg (HTB6) 10m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 95m
Arrival 10m
Jackson (Union Station) (JXD6) → Madison, MS 18m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $9) $9

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

Stations

From HTB6 — Hattiesburg 5 mi, ~10m drive
To JXD6 — Jackson (Union Station) 12 mi, ~18m 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 Bus
Door-to-door time 2h 12m 2h 41m 2h 28m
Total cost (1 person) $58 $124 $9
Carbon footprint 42 kg CO2 23 kg CO2 5 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: 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 13, 2026.

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