Drive or Fly: Portageville, MO to St. Louis, 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 CGI–STL. At 177 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 16m

Distance

177.2 mi

Total Cost

$74

CO2

72 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$39

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

4h 2m

19m in the air

Air Distance

155 mi

Total Cost

$126

CO2

39 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Portageville, MO → CGI 84m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 19m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

STL → St. Louis, MO 19m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $126) $126

Airports

Portageville, MO CGI — Cape Girardeau Regional Airport 56 mi, ~84m drive

St. Louis, MO STL — St. Louis Lambert International Airport 13 mi, ~19m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between CGI 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

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

5h 24m

3h 50m on road

Total Cost

$21

CO2

11 kg

Route

Greyhound US1173

Door-to-Door Timeline

Portageville, MO → Blytheville (Sunoco) (BTV6) 59m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 230m

Arrival 10m

St Louis Bus Station (SLD6) → St. Louis, MO 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $21) $21

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

Stations

From BTV6 — Blytheville (Sunoco) 39 mi, ~59m drive

To SLD6 — St Louis Bus Station 0 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	Bus
Door-to-door time	3h 16m	4h 2m	5h 24m
Total cost (1 person)	$74	$126	$21
Carbon footprint	72 kg CO₂	39 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: 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 Portageville, MO to St. Louis, MO with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.