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Drive or Fly: Polk, MO to Florissant, MO?

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 SGF–STL. At 212 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

4h 16m

Distance

212 mi

Total Cost

$82

CO2

86 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$47
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 22m

21m in the air

Air Distance

177 mi

Total Cost

$182

CO2

45 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Polk, MO → SGF 51m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 21m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
STL → Florissant, MO 10m

Cost Breakdown

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

Airports

Polk, MO SGF — Springfield Branson National Airport 34 mi, ~51m drive
Florissant, MO STL — St. Louis Lambert International Airport 4 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between SGF and STL. 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

7h 51m

5h 10m on rail

Total Cost

$33

CO2

10 kg

Route

Lincoln Service Missouri River Runner

Door-to-Door Timeline

Polk, MO → Sedalia Amtrak Station 102m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 310m
Arrival 10m
Alton Amtrak Station → Florissant, MO 19m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $33) $33

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

Stations

From Sedalia Amtrak Station 68 mi, ~102m drive
To Alton Amtrak Station 13 mi, ~19m 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

5h 4m

3h 35m on road

Total Cost

$21

CO2

11 kg

Route

Greyhound US1210

Door-to-Door Timeline

Polk, MO → Springfield CU Transit Center (SPR6) 54m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 215m
Arrival 10m
Saint Louis (Lambert Field) (SOL6) → Florissant, MO 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $21) $21

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

Stations

From SPR6 — Springfield CU Transit Center 36 mi, ~54m drive
To SOL6 — Saint Louis (Lambert Field) 4 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~8/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 8 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 4h 16m 3h 22m 7h 51m 5h 4m
Total cost (1 person) $82 $182 $33 $21
Carbon footprint 86 kg CO2 45 kg CO2 10 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 Polk, MO to Florissant, MO with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.