Drive or Fly: Unicoi, TN to Bartlett, TN?

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 TRI–MEM. At 490 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

9h 2m

Distance

490.4 mi

Total Cost

$143

CO2

198 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$108

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

− Driver fatigue on longer stretches

− Wear and tear on vehicle

− Fuel price fluctuations

Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

3h 39m

51m in the air

Air Distance

428 mi

Total Cost

$192

CO2

109 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Unicoi, TN → TRI 29m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 51m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

MEM → Bartlett, TN 19m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $137) $137

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Unicoi, TN TRI — Tri-Cities Regional TN/VA Airport 20 mi, ~29m drive

Bartlett, TN MEM — Memphis International Airport 13 mi, ~19m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between TRI and MEM. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Saves about 5h 23m compared to driving

+ 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	9h 2m	3h 39m
Total cost (1 person)	$143	$192
Carbon footprint	198 kg CO₂	109 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 15, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Unicoi, TN to Bartlett, TN with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.