Drive or Fly: Shady Hills, FL to Gainesville, FL?

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 TPA–GNV. At 110 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

2h 19m

Distance

110.3 mi

Total Cost

$59

CO2

45 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$24

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 5m

10m in the air

Air Distance

87 mi

Total Cost

$123

CO2

22 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Shady Hills, FL → TPA 45m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 10m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

GNV → Gainesville, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $123) $123

Airports

Shady Hills, FL TPA — Tampa International Airport 30 mi, ~45m drive

Gainesville, FL GNV — Gainesville Regional Airport 4 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between TPA and GNV. 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 33m

3h 10m on rail

Total Cost

$18

CO2

5 kg

Route

Amtrak Thruway Connecting Service

Door-to-Door Timeline

Shady Hills, FL → Dade City Amtrak Bus Stop 33m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 190m

Arrival 10m

Gainesville Amtrak Bus Stop → Gainesville, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $18) $18

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

Stations

From Dade City Amtrak Bus Stop 22 mi, ~33m drive

To Gainesville Amtrak Bus Stop 2 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

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Train
Door-to-door time	2h 19m	3h 5m	4h 33m
Total cost (1 person)	$59	$123	$18
Carbon footprint	45 kg CO₂	22 kg CO₂	5 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 — 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 17, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

110.3 mi 2h 18m

via I 75, FL 50, US 41

Shortest (+4 min)

100.2 mi 2h 22m

via US 41, FL 589 Toll, FL 121

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Shady Hills, FL to Gainesville, FL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.