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Drive or Fly: Shorewood Hills, WI to La Crosse, WI?

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 MSN–LSE. At 139 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

2h 27m

Distance

139.2 mi

Total Cost

$66

CO2

56 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$31
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 33m

12m in the air

Air Distance

103 mi

Total Cost

$124

CO2

26 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Shorewood Hills, WI → MSN 11m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 12m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
LSE → La Crosse, WI 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $124) $124

Airports

Shorewood Hills, WI MSN — Dane County Regional Truax Field 7 mi, ~11m drive
La Crosse, WI LSE — La Crosse Regional Airport 5 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between MSN and LSE. 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 42m

2h 9m on rail

Total Cost

$23

CO2

7 kg

Route

Empire Builder

Door-to-Door Timeline

Shorewood Hills, WI → Columbus Amtrak Station 43m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 129m
Arrival 10m
La Crosse → La Crosse, WI 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $23) $23

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

Stations

From Columbus Amtrak Station 28 mi, ~43m drive
To La Crosse 2 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~4/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 4 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 27m 2h 33m 3h 42m
Total cost (1 person) $66 $124 $23
Carbon footprint 56 kg CO2 26 kg CO2 7 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 12, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Shorewood Hills, WI to La Crosse, WI with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.