Drive or Fly: Winchester, IN to Terre Haute, 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 DAY–CMI. At 168 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

3h 18m

Distance

168.7 mi

Total Cost

$72

CO2

68 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$37
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

4h 55m

17m in the air

Air Distance

138 mi

Total Cost

$126

CO2

35 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Winchester, IN → DAY 67m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 17m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
CMI → Terre Haute, IN 91m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $126) $126

Airports

Winchester, IN DAY — James M. Cox Dayton International Airport 44 mi, ~67m drive
Terre Haute, IN CMI — University of Illinois Willard Airport 61 mi, ~91m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between DAY and CMI. 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

5h 56m

3h 7m on rail

Total Cost

$20

CO2

6 kg

Route

Cardinal

Door-to-Door Timeline

Winchester, IN → Connersville Amtrak 56m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 187m
Arrival 10m
Crawfordsville Amtrak → Terre Haute, IN 73m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $20) $20

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

Stations

From Connersville Amtrak 37 mi, ~56m drive
To Crawfordsville Amtrak 48 mi, ~73m 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

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

6h 15m

4h 33m on road

Total Cost

$19

CO2

10 kg

Route

Greyhound US0421

Door-to-Door Timeline

Winchester, IN → Dayton Trotwood Bus Station (DAY6) 67m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 273m
Arrival 10m
Terre Haute Greyhound Station (THA6) → Terre Haute, IN 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $19) $19

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

Stations

From DAY6 — Dayton Trotwood Bus Station 45 mi, ~67m drive
To THA6 — Terre Haute Greyhound Station 0 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 3h 18m 4h 55m 5h 56m 6h 15m
Total cost (1 person) $72 $126 $20 $19
Carbon footprint 68 kg CO2 35 kg CO2 6 kg CO2 10 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 Winchester, IN to Terre Haute, IN with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.