Drive or Fly: St. Louis, MO to Appleton City, 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–SGF. At 261 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

5h 32m

Distance

261.4 mi

Total Cost

$93

CO2

106 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$58

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

4h 35m

25m in the air

Air Distance

210 mi

Total Cost

$183

CO2

53 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

St. Louis, MO → STL 19m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 25m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

SGF → Appleton City, MO 111m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $128) $128

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

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

Appleton City, MO SGF — Springfield Branson National Airport 74 mi, ~111m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between STL and SGF. 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

− May need a rental car at destination

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

5h 57m

4h 3m on rail

Total Cost

$38

CO2

11 kg

Route

Lincoln Service Missouri River Runner

Door-to-Door Timeline

St. Louis, MO → St. Louis 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 243m

Arrival 10m

Warrensburg Amtrak Station → Appleton City, MO 64m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $38) $38

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

Stations

From St. Louis 0 mi, ~10m drive

To Warrensburg Amtrak Station 43 mi, ~64m 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 44m

6h 5m on road

Total Cost

$21

CO2

11 kg

Route

Greyhound US0175s

Door-to-Door Timeline

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

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 365m

Arrival 10m

Warrensburg Chamber Of Commerce (WRN6) → Appleton City, MO 64m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $21) $21

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

Stations

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

To WRN6 — Warrensburg Chamber Of Commerce 42 mi, ~64m 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	5h 32m	4h 35m	5h 57m	7h 44m
Total cost (1 person)	$93	$183	$38	$21
Carbon footprint	106 kg CO₂	53 kg CO₂	11 kg CO₂	11 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 17, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

261.4 mi 5h 31m

via I 70; US 40, MO 52, US 65

Alternative (+1 min)

270.8 mi 5h 33m

via I 44; US 50, MO 32, MO 13

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