Drive or Fly: West Lafayette, IN to Clear Creek, 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 LAF–IND. At 118 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

2h 23m

Distance

118.5 mi

Total Cost

$61

CO2

48 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$26

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 27m

11m in the air

Air Distance

93 mi

Total Cost

$124

CO2

24 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

West Lafayette, IN → LAF 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 11m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

IND → Clear Creek, IN 66m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $124) $124

Airports

West Lafayette, IN LAF — Purdue University Airport 2 mi, ~10m drive

Clear Creek, IN IND — Indianapolis International Airport 44 mi, ~66m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between LAF 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 57m

1h 53m on rail

Total Cost

$12

CO2

3 kg

Route

Cardinal

Door-to-Door Timeline

West Lafayette, IN → Lafayette Amtrak Station 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 113m

Arrival 10m

Indianapolis → Clear Creek, IN 74m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $12) $12

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

Stations

From Lafayette Amtrak Station 1 mi, ~10m drive

To Indianapolis 49 mi, ~74m 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

3h 20m

2h 35m on road

Total Cost

$10

CO2

5 kg

Route

FlixBus 2512

Door-to-Door Timeline

West Lafayette, IN → Lafayette Bus Stop (LFY6) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 155m

Arrival 10m

Bloomington (IN) (BMNN) → Clear Creek, IN 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $10) $10

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

Stations

From LFY6 — Lafayette Bus Stop 1 mi, ~10m drive

To BMNN — Bloomington (IN) 4 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 23m	3h 27m	3h 57m	3h 20m
Total cost (1 person)	$61	$124	$12	$10
Carbon footprint	48 kg CO₂	24 kg CO₂	3 kg CO₂	5 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 West Lafayette, IN to Clear Creek, IN with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.