Drive or Fly: Waupaca, WI to Milwaukee, WI?

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 ATW–MKE. At 127 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

2h 29m

Distance

127.2 mi

Total Cost

$63

CO2

51 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$28

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 6m

13m in the air

Air Distance

109 mi

Total Cost

$124

CO2

28 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Waupaca, WI → ATW 43m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 13m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

MKE → Milwaukee, WI 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $124) $124

Airports

Waupaca, WI ATW — Appleton International Airport 29 mi, ~43m drive

Milwaukee, WI MKE — General Mitchell International Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between ATW and MKE. 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 59m

1h 40m on rail

Total Cost

$17

CO2

5 kg

Route

Empire Builder

Door-to-Door Timeline

Waupaca, WI → Portage 89m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 100m

Arrival 10m

Milwaukee → Milwaukee, WI 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $17) $17

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

Stations

From Portage 59 mi, ~89m drive

To Milwaukee 1 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~4/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 4 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

5h 8m

3h 45m on road

Total Cost

$15

CO2

8 kg

Route

Greyhound US0150S

Door-to-Door Timeline

Waupaca, WI → Wittenberg, WI (WII6) 48m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 225m

Arrival 10m

Milwaukee Intermodal Station (MKE6) → Milwaukee, WI 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $15) $15

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

Stations

From WII6 — Wittenberg, WI 32 mi, ~48m drive

To MKE6 — Milwaukee Intermodal Station 1 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~7/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 7 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 29m	3h 6m	3h 59m	5h 8m
Total cost (1 person)	$63	$124	$17	$15
Carbon footprint	51 kg CO₂	28 kg CO₂	5 kg CO₂	8 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 16, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Waupaca, WI to Milwaukee, WI with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.