Drive or Fly: Laurel, MT to Lewistown, MT?

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 BIL–GTF. At 144 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

Distance

144.8 mi

Total Cost

$67

CO2

58 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$32

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

4h 57m

12m in the air

Air Distance

101 mi

Total Cost

$124

CO2

26 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Laurel, MT → BIL 22m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 12m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

GTF → Lewistown, MT 143m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $124) $124

Airports

Laurel, MT BIL — Billings Logan International Airport 15 mi, ~22m drive

Lewistown, MT GTF — Great Falls International Airport 96 mi, ~143m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between BIL and GTF. 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

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly
Door-to-door time	3h	4h 57m
Total cost (1 person)	$67	$124
Carbon footprint	58 kg CO₂	26 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

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

144.8 mi 2h 59m

via US 87, US 87; MT 200

Alternative (+4 min)

158.7 mi 3h 4m

via US 12; MT 3, US 191; MT 3, MT 3

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Laurel, MT to Lewistown, MT with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.