Skip to main content

Drive or Fly: Sugar Creek, IN to Bloomington, IN?

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 IND–IND. At 64 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

1h 18m

Distance

64.1 mi

Total Cost

$49

CO2

26 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$14
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 38m

6m in the air

Air Distance

46 mi

Total Cost

$122

CO2

12 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Sugar Creek, IN → IND 32m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 6m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
IND → Bloomington, IN 60m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $122) $122

Airports

Sugar Creek, IN IND — Indianapolis International Airport 21 mi, ~32m drive
Bloomington, IN IND — Indianapolis International Airport 40 mi, ~60m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between IND and IND. 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

2h 8m

1h 10m on road

Total Cost

$5

CO2

3 kg

Route

FlixBus 2512

Door-to-Door Timeline

Sugar Creek, IN → Indianapolis (E Washington St) (5IN) 23m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 70m
Arrival 10m
Bloomington (IN) (BMNN) → Bloomington, IN 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $5) $5

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

Stations

From 5IN — Indianapolis (E Washington St) 15 mi, ~23m drive
To BMNN — Bloomington (IN) 0 mi, ~10m 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 Bus
Door-to-door time 1h 18m 3h 38m 2h 8m
Total cost (1 person) $49 $122 $5
Carbon footprint 26 kg CO2 12 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: 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
64.1 mi 1h 18m

via I 69, I 74, I 74; US 421

Shortest (+10 min)
59.7 mi 1h 28m

via I 69, London Road, West Smith Valley Road

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Sugar Creek, IN to Bloomington, IN with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.