Drive or Fly: Carroll, IA to Davenport, 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 FOD–MLI. At 244 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

4h 58m

Distance

244 mi

Total Cost

$81

CO2

99 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$46

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 49m

27m in the air

Air Distance

224 mi

Total Cost

$184

CO2

57 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Carroll, IA → FOD 72m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 27m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

MLI → Davenport, IA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $129) $129

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Carroll, IA FOD — Fort Dodge Regional Airport 48 mi, ~72m drive

Davenport, IA MLI — Quad City International Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between FOD and MLI. 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

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

7h 27m

5h 15m on road

Total Cost

$18

CO2

9 kg

Route

Greyhound US0154S

Door-to-Door Timeline

Carroll, IA → Ames (Phillips 66) (AES6) 97m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 315m

Arrival 10m

Davenport (Ground Transportation) (DAV6) → Davenport, IA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $18) $18

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

Stations

From AES6 — Ames (Phillips 66) 65 mi, ~97m drive

To DAV6 — Davenport (Ground Transportation) 0 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~8/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 8 trips per week

− Travel time longer than driving

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Bus
Door-to-door time	4h 58m	3h 49m	7h 27m
Total cost (1 person)	$81	$184	$18
Carbon footprint	99 kg CO₂	57 kg CO₂	9 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: 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 Jul 19, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

244 mi 4h 57m

via US 30, I 80, I 380; US 218; IA 27

Alternative (+3 min)

248.6 mi 5h 1m

via I 80, US 30, IA 141

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