Drive or Fly: Sunshine Ranches, FL to Port Saint Lucie, FL?

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 OPF–VRB. At 100 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

2h 3m

Distance

100.9 mi

Total Cost

$57

CO2

41 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$22

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 3m

10m in the air

Air Distance

86 mi

Total Cost

$123

CO2

22 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Sunshine Ranches, FL → OPF 15m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 10m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

VRB → Port Saint Lucie, FL 38m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $123) $123

Airports

Sunshine Ranches, FL OPF — Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport 10 mi, ~15m drive

Port Saint Lucie, FL VRB — Vero Beach Regional Airport 25 mi, ~38m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between OPF and VRB. 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 44m

2h 5m on rail

Total Cost

$19

CO2

6 kg

Route

Floridian

Door-to-Door Timeline

Sunshine Ranches, FL → Hollywood Amtrak Station 15m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 125m

Arrival 10m

Okeechobee Amtrak → Port Saint Lucie, FL 44m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $19) $19

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

Stations

From Hollywood Amtrak Station 10 mi, ~15m drive

To Okeechobee Amtrak 30 mi, ~44m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~2/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 2 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

2h 50m

2h on road

Total Cost

$10

CO2

5 kg

Route

FlixBus N2411

Door-to-Door Timeline

Sunshine Ranches, FL → Hollywood Sheridan Trirail Station (HOL6) 15m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 120m

Arrival 10m

Port St Lucie (Park & Ride) (PSL6) → Port Saint Lucie, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $10) $10

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

Stations

From HOL6 — Hollywood Sheridan Trirail Station 10 mi, ~15m drive

To PSL6 — Port St Lucie (Park & Ride) 5 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~8/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 8 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 3m	3h 3m	3h 44m	2h 50m
Total cost (1 person)	$57	$123	$19	$10
Carbon footprint	41 kg CO₂	22 kg CO₂	6 kg CO₂	5 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 Sunshine Ranches, FL to Port Saint Lucie, FL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.