Drive or Fly: Rock Valley, IA to Dubuque, IA?

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 FSD–DBQ. At 340 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

7h 2m

Distance

340.6 mi

Total Cost

$110

CO2

138 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$75

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 38m

35m in the air

Air Distance

289 mi

Total Cost

$187

CO2

74 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Rock Valley, IA → FSD 52m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 35m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

DBQ → Dubuque, IA 11m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $132) $132

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Rock Valley, IA FSD — Sioux Falls Regional Airport 35 mi, ~52m drive

Dubuque, IA DBQ — Dubuque Regional Airport 7 mi, ~11m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between FSD and DBQ. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Saves about 3h 24m compared to driving

+ 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

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly
Door-to-door time	7h 2m	3h 38m
Total cost (1 person)	$110	$187
Carbon footprint	138 kg CO₂	74 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

340.6 mi 7h 2m

via US 20, IA 3, IA 143

Shortest (+22 min)

340 mi 7h 24m

via US 18, US 20, US 18; IA 27

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Rock Valley, IA to Dubuque, IA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.