Drive or Fly: Maple Lake, MN to Brooklyn Park, MN?

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 STC–MSP. At 40 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

52m

Distance

40.1 mi

Total Cost

$44

CO2

16 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$9

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 1m

4m in the air

Air Distance

33 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

8 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Maple Lake, MN → STC 33m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 4m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

MSP → Brooklyn Park, MN 24m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

Maple Lake, MN STC — Saint Cloud Regional Airport 22 mi, ~33m drive

Brooklyn Park, MN MSP — Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field 16 mi, ~24m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between STC and MSP. 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

3h 43m

2h 1m on rail

Total Cost

$13

CO2

4 kg

Route

Empire Builder

Door-to-Door Timeline

Maple Lake, MN → St. Cloud Amtrak Station 37m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 121m

Arrival 10m

St. Paul-Minneapolis → Brooklyn Park, MN 25m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $13) $13

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

Stations

From St. Cloud Amtrak Station 24 mi, ~37m drive

To St. Paul-Minneapolis 17 mi, ~25m 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

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

2h 29m

1h 15m on road

Total Cost

CO2

3 kg

Route

FlixBus 2548

Door-to-Door Timeline

Maple Lake, MN → Saint Cloud (Metro Bus) (SCM6) 36m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 75m

Arrival 10m

Minneapolis Bus Station (MSD6) → Brooklyn Park, MN 13m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $6) $6

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

Stations

From SCM6 — Saint Cloud (Metro Bus) 24 mi, ~36m drive

To MSD6 — Minneapolis Bus Station 9 mi, ~13m 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	Train	Bus
Door-to-door time	52m	3h 1m	3h 43m	2h 29m
Total cost (1 person)	$44	$121	$13	$6
Carbon footprint	16 kg CO₂	8 kg CO₂	4 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 Maple Lake, MN to Brooklyn Park, MN with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.