Drive or Fly: St. Louis, MO to Piedmont, 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–CGI. At 130 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

2h 39m

Distance

130.8 mi

Total Cost

$64

CO2

53 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$29

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 5m

13m in the air

Air Distance

105 mi

Total Cost

$124

CO2

27 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

St. Louis, MO → STL 19m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 13m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

CGI → Piedmont, MO 93m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $124) $124

Airports

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

Piedmont, MO CGI — Cape Girardeau Regional Airport 62 mi, ~93m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between STL and CGI. 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 43m

2h 7m on rail

Total Cost

$15

CO2

4 kg

Route

Texas Eagle

Door-to-Door Timeline

St. Louis, MO → St. Louis 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 127m

Arrival 10m

Arcadia Valley Station → Piedmont, MO 46m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $15) $15

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

Stations

From St. Louis 0 mi, ~10m drive

To Arcadia Valley Station 30 mi, ~46m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~8/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 8 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

4h 16m

2h 5m on road

Total Cost

$11

CO2

6 kg

Route

Greyhound US1173

Door-to-Door Timeline

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

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 125m

Arrival 10m

Cape Girardeau (5CG) → Piedmont, MO 96m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $11) $11

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

Stations

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

To 5CG — Cape Girardeau 64 mi, ~96m 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	2h 39m	4h 5m	3h 43m	4h 16m
Total cost (1 person)	$64	$124	$15	$11
Carbon footprint	53 kg CO₂	27 kg CO₂	4 kg CO₂	6 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 15, 2026.

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