Trip.ovh Logo
Trip.ovh

Drive or Fly: St. Louis, MO to Rich 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–JLN. At 293 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

5h 51m

Distance

293 mi

Total Cost

$100

CO2

118 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$65
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 25m

27m in the air

Air Distance

228 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
JLN → Rich Hill, MO 99m

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
Rich Hill, MO JLN — Joplin Regional Airport 66 mi, ~99m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between STL and JLN. 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

6h 59m

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 → Rich Hill, MO 85m

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 56 mi, ~85m 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

8h 5m

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) → Rich Hill, MO 85m

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 57 mi, ~85m 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 51m 4h 25m 6h 59m 8h 5m
Total cost (1 person) $100 $184 $45 $21
Carbon footprint 118 kg CO2 58 kg CO2 13 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 13, 2026.

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