Drive or Fly: Polk City, FL to Tampa, FL?

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 LAL–TPA. At 45 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

46m

Distance

45.2 mi

Total Cost

$45

CO2

18 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$10

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 42m

5m in the air

Air Distance

42 mi

Total Cost

$122

CO2

11 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Polk City, FL → LAL 27m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 5m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

TPA → Tampa, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $122) $122

Airports

Polk City, FL LAL — Lakeland Linder International Airport 18 mi, ~27m drive

Tampa, FL TPA — Tampa International Airport 5 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between LAL and TPA. 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

1h 53m

45m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

Amtrak Thruway Connecting Service

Door-to-Door Timeline

Polk City, FL → Lakeland Amtrak Station 18m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 45m

Arrival 10m

Tampa → Tampa, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $6) $6

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

Stations

From Lakeland Amtrak Station 12 mi, ~18m drive

To Tampa 1 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~1/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 1 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

1h 32m

40m on road

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

FlixBus N2411

Door-to-Door Timeline

Polk City, FL → Lakeland Gow B Fields Park & Ride (LKD6) 17m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 40m

Arrival 10m

Tampa Bus Station (TPA6) → Tampa, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $3) $3

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

Stations

From LKD6 — Lakeland Gow B Fields Park & Ride 11 mi, ~17m drive

To TPA6 — Tampa Bus Station 1 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	46m	2h 42m	1h 53m	1h 32m
Total cost (1 person)	$45	$122	$6	$3
Carbon footprint	18 kg CO₂	11 kg CO₂	2 kg CO₂	2 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 16, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Polk City, FL to Tampa, FL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.