Drive or Fly: East Lake, FL to Jacksonville, FL?

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 TPA–JAX. At 204 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

4h 11m

Distance

204.7 mi

Total Cost

$74

CO2

83 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$39

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 57m

20m in the air

Air Distance

166 mi

Total Cost

$182

CO2

42 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

East Lake, FL → TPA 20m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 20m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

JAX → Jacksonville, FL 17m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $127) $127

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

East Lake, FL TPA — Tampa International Airport 14 mi, ~20m drive

Jacksonville, FL JAX — Jacksonville International Airport 11 mi, ~17m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between TPA and JAX. 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

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

7h 4m

5h 24m on rail

Total Cost

$34

CO2

12 kg

Route

Floridian

Door-to-Door Timeline

East Lake, FL → Tampa (TPA) 30m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 324m

Arrival 10m

Jacksonville (JAX) → Jacksonville, FL 30m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $34) $34

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

Stations

From TPA — Tampa 0 mi, ~30m drive

To JAX — Jacksonville 0 mi, ~30m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~4/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 4 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Train
Door-to-door time	4h 11m	2h 57m	7h 4m
Total cost (1 person)	$74	$182	$34
Carbon footprint	83 kg CO₂	42 kg CO₂	12 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 — 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 20, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

204.7 mi 4h 10m

via I 75, US 301, I 10

Shortest (+10 min)

201.5 mi 4h 21m

via US 301, FL 589 Toll, I 10

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from East Lake, FL to Jacksonville, FL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.