Drive or Fly: Cincinnati, OH to Pleasant Hill, OH?

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 LUK–DAY. At 77 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

1h 38m

Distance

77 mi

Total Cost

$52

CO2

31 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$17

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

2h 36m

8m in the air

Air Distance

65 mi

Total Cost

$123

CO2

16 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Cincinnati, OH → LUK 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 8m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

DAY → Pleasant Hill, OH 18m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $123) $123

Airports

Cincinnati, OH LUK — Cincinnati Municipal Airport Lunken Field 5 mi, ~10m drive

Pleasant Hill, OH DAY — James M. Cox Dayton International Airport 12 mi, ~18m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between LUK and DAY. 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

4h 1m

1h 55m on rail

Total Cost

$10

CO2

3 kg

Route

Cardinal

Door-to-Door Timeline

Cincinnati, OH → Cincinnati Union Terminal 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 115m

Arrival 10m

Connersville Amtrak → Pleasant Hill, OH 76m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $10) $10

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

Stations

From Cincinnati Union Terminal 2 mi, ~10m drive

To Connersville Amtrak 50 mi, ~76m 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

1h 55m

55m on road

Total Cost

CO2

3 kg

Route

FlixBus N2642

Door-to-Door Timeline

Cincinnati, OH → Cincinnati (University of Cincinnati) (5UC) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 55m

Arrival 10m

Dayton Trotwood Bus Station (DAY6) → Pleasant Hill, OH 25m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $5) $5

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

Stations

From 5UC — Cincinnati (University of Cincinnati) 1 mi, ~10m drive

To DAY6 — Dayton Trotwood Bus Station 17 mi, ~25m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~10/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 10 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	1h 38m	2h 36m	4h 1m	1h 55m
Total cost (1 person)	$52	$123	$10	$5
Carbon footprint	31 kg CO₂	16 kg CO₂	3 kg CO₂	3 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.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Cincinnati, OH to Pleasant Hill, OH with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.