Drive or Fly: Terre Haute, IN to Lafayette, 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 CMI–LAF. At 87 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

1h 49m

Distance

87 mi

Total Cost

$54

CO2

35 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$19

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 50m

9m in the air

Air Distance

72 mi

Total Cost

$123

CO2

18 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Terre Haute, IN → CMI 91m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 9m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

LAF → Lafayette, IN 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $123) $123

Airports

Terre Haute, IN CMI — University of Illinois Willard Airport 61 mi, ~91m drive

Lafayette, IN LAF — Purdue University Airport 3 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between CMI and LAF. 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

2h 41m

38m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

Cardinal

Door-to-Door Timeline

Terre Haute, IN → Crawfordsville Amtrak 73m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 38m

Arrival 10m

Lafayette Amtrak Station → Lafayette, IN 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $5) $5

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

Stations

From Crawfordsville Amtrak 48 mi, ~73m drive

To Lafayette Amtrak Station 1 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~5/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 5 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Train
Door-to-door time	1h 49m	3h 50m	2h 41m
Total cost (1 person)	$54	$123	$5
Carbon footprint	35 kg CO₂	18 kg CO₂	2 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 — 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 Terre Haute, IN to Lafayette, IN with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.