Drive or Fly: Saint Peters, 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 STL–STL. At 32 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

44m

Distance

32.1 mi

Total Cost

$42

CO2

13 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$7

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 43m

3m in the air

Air Distance

26 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

7 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Saint Peters, MO → STL 21m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 3m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

STL → St. Louis, MO 19m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

Saint Peters, MO STL — St. Louis Lambert International Airport 14 mi, ~21m drive

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

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between STL 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

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

1h 51m

32m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

1 kg

Route

Missouri River Runner

Door-to-Door Timeline

Saint Peters, MO → Kirkwood Amtrak Station 29m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 32m

Arrival 10m

St. Louis → St. Louis, MO 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $2) $2

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

Stations

From Kirkwood Amtrak Station 19 mi, ~29m drive

To St. Louis 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

1h 27m

30m on road

Total Cost

CO2

1 kg

Route

Greyhound US1210

Door-to-Door Timeline

Saint Peters, MO → Saint Louis (Lambert Field) (SOL6) 22m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 30m

Arrival 10m

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

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $1) $1

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

Stations

From SOL6 — Saint Louis (Lambert Field) 15 mi, ~22m drive

To SLD6 — St Louis Bus Station 0 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~8/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 8 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	44m	2h 43m	1h 51m	1h 27m
Total cost (1 person)	$42	$121	$2	$1
Carbon footprint	13 kg CO₂	7 kg CO₂	1 kg CO₂	1 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 13, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Saint Peters, MO to St. Louis, MO with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.