Drive or Fly: Beaver Dam, WI to City of Janesville, 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 MSN–RFD. At 72 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

1h 27m

Distance

72.8 mi

Total Cost

$51

CO2

29 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$16

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 47m

6m in the air

Air Distance

54 mi

Total Cost

$122

CO2

14 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Beaver Dam, WI → MSN 50m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 6m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

RFD → City of Janesville, WI 51m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $122) $122

Airports

Beaver Dam, WI MSN — Dane County Regional Truax Field 33 mi, ~50m drive

City of Janesville, WI RFD — Chicago Rockford International Airport 34 mi, ~51m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between MSN and RFD. 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

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly
Door-to-door time	1h 27m	3h 47m
Total cost (1 person)	$51	$122
Carbon footprint	29 kg CO₂	14 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 19, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

72.8 mi 1h 26m

via I 39; I 90, US 151

Shortest (+3 min)

65 mi 1h 30m

via WI 26, CTH W, CTH A; CTH I

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Beaver Dam, WI to City of Janesville, WI with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.