Drive or Fly: Iowa City, IA to Lake 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 CID–FOD. At 199 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

4h 9m

Distance

199.8 mi

Total Cost

$79

CO2

81 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$44

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 38m

20m in the air

Air Distance

170 mi

Total Cost

$127

CO2

43 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Iowa City, IA → CID 27m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 20m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

FOD → Lake City, IA 51m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $127) $127

Airports

Iowa City, IA CID — The Eastern Iowa Airport 18 mi, ~27m drive

Lake City, IA FOD — Fort Dodge Regional Airport 34 mi, ~51m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between CID 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

4h 40m

2h 15m on road

Total Cost

$12

CO2

6 kg

Route

Greyhound US0155S

Door-to-Door Timeline

Iowa City, IA → Iowa City (ICY6) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 135m

Arrival 10m

Des Moines (DSM6) → Lake City, IA 110m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $12) $12

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

Stations

From ICY6 — Iowa City 0 mi, ~10m drive

To DSM6 — Des Moines 73 mi, ~110m 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	4h 9m	3h 38m	4h 40m
Total cost (1 person)	$79	$127	$12
Carbon footprint	81 kg CO₂	43 kg CO₂	6 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 Apr 19, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

199.8 mi 4h 8m

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

Alternative (+3 min)

204 mi 4h 11m

via I 80, IA 144, IA 141

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