Drive or Fly: Tallulah, LA to Lafayette, LA?

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 MLU–LFT. At 235 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

4h 23m

Distance

235.5 mi

Total Cost

$87

CO2

95 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$52

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 44m

19m in the air

Air Distance

159 mi

Total Cost

$181

CO2

40 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Tallulah, LA → MLU 75m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 19m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

LFT → Lafayette, LA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $126) $126

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Tallulah, LA MLU — Monroe Regional Airport 50 mi, ~75m drive

Lafayette, LA LFT — Lafayette Regional Airport 2 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between MLU and LFT. 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

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly
Door-to-door time	4h 23m	3h 44m
Total cost (1 person)	$87	$181
Carbon footprint	95 kg CO₂	40 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

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

235.5 mi 4h 22m

via US 165, I 49; US 167; US 71 BYP, I 20

Shortest (+12 min)

233.7 mi 4h 34m

via US 61, I 10, I 20

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Tallulah, LA to Lafayette, LA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.