Drive or Fly: St. Louis, MO to Bellefontaine Neighbors, 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 9 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

18m

Distance

9.8 mi

Total Cost

$37

CO2

4 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$2
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 32m

1m in the air

Air Distance

8 mi

Total Cost

$120

CO2

2 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

St. Louis, MO → STL 19m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 1m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
STL → Bellefontaine Neighbors, MO 12m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $120) $120

Airports

St. Louis, MO STL — St. Louis Lambert International Airport 13 mi, ~19m drive
Bellefontaine Neighbors, MO STL — St. Louis Lambert International Airport 8 mi, ~12m 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

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

1h 50m

25m on road

Total Cost

$1

CO2

1 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

St. Louis, MO → St Louis Bus Station (SLD6) 30m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 25m
Arrival 10m
Saint Louis (Lambert Field) (SOL6) → Bellefontaine Neighbors, MO 30m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $1) $1

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

Stations

From SLD6 — St Louis Bus Station 0 mi, ~30m drive
To SOL6 — Saint Louis (Lambert Field) 0 mi, ~30m 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 Bus
Door-to-door time 18m 2h 32m 1h 50m
Total cost (1 person) $37 $120 $1
Carbon footprint 4 kg CO2 2 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: 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 12, 2026.

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