Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Drive or Fly: Blue Grass, IA to Sioux 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 MLI–SUX. At 358 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

6h 37m

Distance

358.4 mi

Total Cost

$114

CO2

145 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$79
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 8m

36m in the air

Air Distance

297 mi

Total Cost

$187

CO2

76 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Blue Grass, IA → MLI 21m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 36m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
SUX → Sioux City, IA 11m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $132) $132
Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Blue Grass, IA MLI — Quad City International Airport 14 mi, ~21m drive
Sioux City, IA SUX — Sioux Gateway Airport / Brigadier General Bud Day Field 7 mi, ~11m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between MLI and SUX. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Saves about 3h 29m compared to driving
+ 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

At a Glance

Drive Fly
Door-to-door time 6h 37m 3h 8m
Total cost (1 person) $114 $187
Carbon footprint 145 kg CO2 76 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
358.4 mi 6h 36m

via I 80; US 6, I 80, I 29

Shortest (+1 min)
338.2 mi 6h 38m

via US 20; IA 27, I 380; US 218; IA 27, US 20

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