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Drive or Fly: St. Louis, MO to Lee's Summit, 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–MCI. At 245 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

4h 45m

Distance

245.1 mi

Total Cost

$89

CO2

99 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$54
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 34m

27m in the air

Air Distance

226 mi

Total Cost

$184

CO2

58 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

St. Louis, MO → STL 19m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 27m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
MCI → Lee's Summit, MO 48m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $129) $129
Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

St. Louis, MO STL — St. Louis Lambert International Airport 13 mi, ~19m drive
Lee's Summit, MO MCI — Kansas City International Airport 32 mi, ~48m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between STL and MCI. 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 44m

4h 44m on rail

Total Cost

$45

CO2

13 kg

Route

Lincoln Service Missouri River Runner

Door-to-Door Timeline

St. Louis, MO → St. Louis 10m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 284m
Arrival 10m
Lee'S Summit Amtrak → Lee's Summit, MO 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $45) $45

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

Stations

From St. Louis 0 mi, ~10m drive
To Lee'S Summit Amtrak 0 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

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

5h 30m

4h 30m on road

Total Cost

$26

CO2

14 kg

Route

Greyhound US1200

Door-to-Door Timeline

St. Louis, MO → St Louis Bus Station (SLD6) 10m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 270m
Arrival 10m
Kansas City Bus Station (KCD6) → Lee's Summit, MO 25m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $26) $26

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

Stations

From SLD6 — St Louis Bus Station 0 mi, ~10m drive
To KCD6 — Kansas City Bus Station 16 mi, ~25m 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 4h 45m 3h 34m 5h 44m 5h 30m
Total cost (1 person) $89 $184 $45 $26
Carbon footprint 99 kg CO2 58 kg CO2 13 kg CO2 14 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 12, 2026.

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