Drive or Fly: Davenport, IA to Story 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–FOD. At 189 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 44m

Distance

189.3 mi

Total Cost

$75

CO2

76 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$40

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 28m

19m in the air

Air Distance

162 mi

Total Cost

$126

CO2

41 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Davenport, IA → MLI 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 19m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

FOD → Story City, IA 59m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $126) $126

Airports

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

Story City, IA FOD — Fort Dodge Regional Airport 40 mi, ~59m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between MLI and FOD. 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

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

6h 9m

5h 15m on road

Total Cost

$18

CO2

9 kg

Route

Greyhound US0154S

Door-to-Door Timeline

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

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 315m

Arrival 10m

Ames (Phillips 66) (AES6) → Story City, IA 19m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $18) $18

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

Stations

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

To AES6 — Ames (Phillips 66) 13 mi, ~19m 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	Bus
Door-to-door time	3h 44m	3h 28m	6h 9m
Total cost (1 person)	$75	$126	$18
Carbon footprint	76 kg CO₂	41 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 Jun 4, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

189.3 mi 3h 43m

via US 30, US 6, US 218

Alternative (+1 min)

199 mi 3h 45m

via I 80, US 6, I 35

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