Drive or Fly: Ronkonkoma, NY to New York City, NY?

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 ISP–LGA. At 54 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

1h 26m

Distance

54.8 mi

Total Cost

$47

CO2

22 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$12

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 28m

6m in the air

Air Distance

47 mi

Total Cost

$122

CO2

12 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Ronkonkoma, NY → ISP 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 6m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

LGA → New York City, NY 12m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $122) $122

Airports

Ronkonkoma, NY ISP — Long Island MacArthur Airport 1 mi, ~10m drive

New York City, NY LGA — LaGuardia Airport 8 mi, ~12m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between ISP and LGA. 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	1h 26m	2h 28m
Total cost (1 person)	$47	$122
Carbon footprint	22 kg CO₂	12 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 12, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Ronkonkoma, NY to New York City, NY with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.