Drive or Fly: Terre Haute, IN to Southport, 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–IND. At 79 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

1h 36m

Distance

79.1 mi

Total Cost

$53

CO2

32 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$18
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 53m

8m in the air

Air Distance

70 mi

Total Cost

$123

CO2

18 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Terre Haute, IN → CMI 91m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 8m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
IND → Southport, IN 14m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $123) $123

Airports

Terre Haute, IN CMI — University of Illinois Willard Airport 61 mi, ~91m drive
Southport, IN IND — Indianapolis International Airport 10 mi, ~14m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between CMI 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

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

3h 22m

1h 19m on rail

Total Cost

$9

CO2

3 kg

Route

Cardinal

Door-to-Door Timeline

Terre Haute, IN → Crawfordsville Amtrak 73m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 79m
Arrival 10m
Indianapolis → Southport, IN 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $9) $9

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

Stations

From Crawfordsville Amtrak 48 mi, ~73m drive
To Indianapolis 7 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~3/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 3 trips per week
Amtrak delays can be unpredictable
Need transportation to/from station
Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

2h 3m

1h 18m on road

Total Cost

$8

CO2

4 kg

Route

Greyhound US0421

Door-to-Door Timeline

Terre Haute, IN → Terre Haute Greyhound Station (THA6) 10m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 78m
Arrival 10m
Indianapolis Bus Station (IND6) → Southport, IN 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $8) $8

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

Stations

From THA6 — Terre Haute Greyhound Station 0 mi, ~10m drive
To IND6 — Indianapolis Bus Station 7 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~14/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
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 1h 36m 3h 53m 3h 22m 2h 3m
Total cost (1 person) $53 $123 $9 $8
Carbon footprint 32 kg CO2 18 kg CO2 3 kg CO2 4 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 Terre Haute, IN to Southport, IN with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.