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Drive or Fly: Red Chute, LA to Lake Charles, LA?

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 SHV–LCH. At 197 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 58m

Distance

197 mi

Total Cost

$79

CO2

80 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$44
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 52m

20m in the air

Air Distance

164 mi

Total Cost

$127

CO2

42 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Red Chute, LA → SHV 22m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 20m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
LCH → Lake Charles, LA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $127) $127

Airports

Red Chute, LA SHV — Shreveport Regional Airport 15 mi, ~22m drive
Lake Charles, LA LCH — Lake Charles Regional Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between SHV and LCH. 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

At a Glance

Drive Fly
Door-to-door time 3h 58m 2h 52m
Total cost (1 person) $79 $127
Carbon footprint 80 kg CO2 42 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
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 17, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest
197 mi 3h 58m

via I 49, US 171, US 171; US 190

Alternative (+22 min)
228 mi 4h 20m

via I 49, US 165, I 10

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Red Chute, LA to Lake Charles, LA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.