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Drive or Fly: Missoula, MT to Miles City, 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 MSO–GDV. At 488 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

8h 12m

Distance

488 mi

Total Cost

$143

CO2

197 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$108
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
− Driver fatigue on longer stretches
− Wear and tear on vehicle
− Fuel price fluctuations
Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

4h 42m

47m in the air

Air Distance

388 mi

Total Cost

$191

CO2

99 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Missoula, MT → MSO 10m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 47m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
GDV → Miles City, MT 105m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $136) $136
Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Missoula, MT MSO — Missoula Montana Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive
Miles City, MT GDV — Dawson Community Airport 70 mi, ~105m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between MSO and GDV. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Saves about 3h 30m compared to driving
+ 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

At a Glance

Drive Fly
Door-to-door time 8h 12m 4h 42m
Total cost (1 person) $143 $191
Carbon footprint 197 kg CO2 99 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
488 mi 8h 12m

via I 94, I 90; US 12; MT 200, I 90; US 191

Shortest (+76 min)
483.2 mi 9h 28m

via MT 200, US 87; MT 200, MT 59

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