Drive or Fly: Audubon, IA to Iowa City, IA?

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 OMA–CID. At 202 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 49m

Distance

202.1 mi

Total Cost

$80

CO2

82 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$45

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 14m

21m in the air

Air Distance

176 mi

Total Cost

$182

CO2

45 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Audubon, IA → OMA 86m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 21m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

CID → Iowa City, IA 27m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $127) $127

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Audubon, IA OMA — Eppley Airfield 57 mi, ~86m drive

Iowa City, IA CID — The Eastern Iowa Airport 18 mi, ~27m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between OMA and CID. 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

− May need a rental car at destination

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

6h 8m

2h 54m on rail

Total Cost

$29

CO2

9 kg

Route

California Zephyr

Door-to-Door Timeline

Audubon, IA → Creston Amtrak 82m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 174m

Arrival 10m

Mt. Pleasant Amtrak Station → Iowa City, IA 72m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $29) $29

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

Stations

From Creston Amtrak 54 mi, ~82m drive

To Mt. Pleasant Amtrak Station 48 mi, ~72m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~1/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 1 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

6h 52m

4h 45m on road

Total Cost

$25

CO2

13 kg

Route

Greyhound US0123S

Door-to-Door Timeline

Audubon, IA → Omaha, NE (OMD6) 92m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 285m

Arrival 10m

Iowa City (ICY6) → Iowa City, IA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $25) $25

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

Stations

From OMD6 — Omaha, NE 61 mi, ~92m drive

To ICY6 — Iowa City 0 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	3h 49m	4h 14m	6h 8m	6h 52m
Total cost (1 person)	$80	$182	$29	$25
Carbon footprint	82 kg CO₂	45 kg CO₂	9 kg CO₂	13 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 21, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

202.1 mi 3h 49m

via I 80, US 6, US 71

Shortest (+1 min)

184.6 mi 3h 50m

via I 80, IA 44, I 80; I 35

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Audubon, IA to Iowa City, IA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.