Drive or Fly: Saint Robert, MO to Lee's Summit, 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 TBN–MCI. At 182 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 12m

Distance

182.9 mi

Total Cost

$75

CO2

74 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$40

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 15m

17m in the air

Air Distance

141 mi

Total Cost

$126

CO2

36 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Saint Robert, MO → TBN 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 17m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

MCI → Lee's Summit, MO 48m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $126) $126

Airports

Saint Robert, MO TBN — Waynesville-St. Robert Regional Airport-Forney Field 6 mi, ~10m drive

Lee's Summit, MO MCI — Kansas City International Airport 32 mi, ~48m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between TBN and MCI. 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

4h 27m

2h 19m on rail

Total Cost

$24

CO2

7 kg

Route

Lincoln Service Missouri River Runner

Door-to-Door Timeline

Saint Robert, MO → Jefferson City Amtrak Station 78m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 139m

Arrival 10m

Lee'S Summit Amtrak → Lee's Summit, MO 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $24) $24

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

Stations

From Jefferson City Amtrak Station 52 mi, ~78m drive

To Lee'S Summit Amtrak 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

5h 10m

3h 5m on road

Total Cost

$15

CO2

8 kg

Route

Greyhound US0175s

Door-to-Door Timeline

Saint Robert, MO → Jefferson City (Conoco) (JFJ6) 75m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 185m

Arrival 10m

Kansas City Bus Station (KCD6) → Lee's Summit, MO 25m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $15) $15

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

Stations

From JFJ6 — Jefferson City (Conoco) 50 mi, ~75m drive

To KCD6 — Kansas City Bus Station 16 mi, ~25m 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	3h 12m	3h 15m	4h 27m	5h 10m
Total cost (1 person)	$75	$126	$24	$15
Carbon footprint	74 kg CO₂	36 kg CO₂	7 kg CO₂	8 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 15, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Saint Robert, MO to Lee's Summit, MO with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.