Drive or Fly: Royalton, IL to Champaign, IL?

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 MWA–CMI. At 184 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

2h 56m

Distance

184.7 mi

Total Cost

$76

CO2

75 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$41

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 44m

19m in the air

Air Distance

162 mi

Total Cost

$126

CO2

41 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Royalton, IL → MWA 15m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 19m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

CMI → Champaign, IL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $126) $126

Airports

Royalton, IL MWA — Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois 10 mi, ~15m drive

Champaign, IL CMI — University of Illinois Willard Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between MWA and CMI. 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

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

3h 36m

2h 29m on rail

Total Cost

$31

CO2

9 kg

Route

Illini

Door-to-Door Timeline

Royalton, IL → Du Quoin Amtrak Station 17m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 149m

Arrival 10m

Champaign-Urbana → Champaign, IL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $31) $31

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

Stations

From Du Quoin Amtrak Station 12 mi, ~17m drive

To Champaign-Urbana 0 mi, ~10m 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

7h 3m

6h 10m on road

Total Cost

$19

CO2

10 kg

Route

FlixBus N2521

Door-to-Door Timeline

Royalton, IL → Carbondale Intermodal Station (CDI6) 18m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 370m

Arrival 10m

Champaign Intermodal Trans Ctr (CPN6) → Champaign, IL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $19) $19

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

Stations

From CDI6 — Carbondale Intermodal Station 12 mi, ~18m drive

To CPN6 — Champaign Intermodal Trans Ctr 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	Train	Bus
Door-to-door time	2h 56m	2h 44m	3h 36m	7h 3m
Total cost (1 person)	$76	$126	$31	$19
Carbon footprint	75 kg CO₂	41 kg CO₂	9 kg CO₂	10 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 16, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Royalton, IL to Champaign, IL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.