Drive or Fly: St. Louis, MO to Cedar Hill, 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 35 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

50m

Distance

35.5 mi

Total Cost

$43

CO2

14 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$8

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 10m

4m in the air

Air Distance

31 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

8 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

St. Louis, MO → STL 19m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 4m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

STL → Cedar Hill, MO 47m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

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

Cedar Hill, MO STL — St. Louis Lambert International Airport 31 mi, ~47m 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

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

1h 49m

29m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

1 kg

Route

Missouri River Runner

Door-to-Door Timeline

St. Louis, MO → St. Louis 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 29m

Arrival 10m

Kirkwood Amtrak Station → Cedar Hill, MO 30m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $2) $2

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

Stations

From St. Louis 0 mi, ~10m drive

To Kirkwood Amtrak Station 20 mi, ~30m 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

2h 16m

1h 5m on road

Total Cost

CO2

3 kg

Route

Greyhound US0175s

Door-to-Door Timeline

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

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 65m

Arrival 10m

Washington (WAS6) → Cedar Hill, MO 36m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $5) $5

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

Stations

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

To WAS6 — Washington 24 mi, ~36m 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	50m	3h 10m	1h 49m	2h 16m
Total cost (1 person)	$43	$121	$2	$5
Carbon footprint	14 kg CO₂	8 kg CO₂	1 kg CO₂	3 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

35.5 mi 49m

via MO 30, I 55

Alternative (+1 min)

36.8 mi 50m

via MO 30, I 44

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