Drive or Fly: Pine Bluff, AR to Fayetteville, AR?

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 LIT–XNA. At 230 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

4h 2m

Distance

230.2 mi

Total Cost

$86

CO2

93 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$51
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 42m

21m in the air

Air Distance

176 mi

Total Cost

$182

CO2

45 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Pine Bluff, AR → LIT 55m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 21m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
XNA → Fayetteville, AR 26m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $127) $127
Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Pine Bluff, AR LIT — Bill & Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field 37 mi, ~55m drive
Fayetteville, AR XNA — Northwest Arkansas National Airport 17 mi, ~26m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between LIT and XNA. 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

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

5h 22m

2h 50m on road

Total Cost

$13

CO2

7 kg

Route

Greyhound US1148S

Door-to-Door Timeline

Pine Bluff, AR → Bryant-Little Rock (Gassy's) (BRT6) 59m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 170m
Arrival 10m
Van Buren/ Ft Smith Bus Depot (FSM6) → Fayetteville, AR 68m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $13) $13

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

Stations

From BRT6 — Bryant-Little Rock (Gassy's) 39 mi, ~59m drive
To FSM6 — Van Buren/ Ft Smith Bus Depot 45 mi, ~68m 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 4h 2m 3h 42m 5h 22m
Total cost (1 person) $86 $182 $13
Carbon footprint 93 kg CO2 45 kg CO2 7 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 Pine Bluff, AR to Fayetteville, AR with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.