Drive or Fly: Palm Beach Gardens, 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 PBI–JAX. At 269 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

5h 2m

Distance

269.8 mi

Total Cost

$86

CO2

109 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$51

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 3m

31m in the air

Air Distance

259 mi

Total Cost

$185

CO2

66 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Palm Beach Gardens, FL → PBI 15m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 31m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

JAX → Jacksonville, FL 17m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $130) $130

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Palm Beach Gardens, FL PBI — President Donald J. Trump International Airport 10 mi, ~15m drive

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

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between PBI 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

8h 49m

7h 9m on rail

Total Cost

$54

CO2

16 kg

Route

Silver Meteor

Door-to-Door Timeline

Palm Beach Gardens, FL → West Palm Beach Amtrak Station (WPB) 30m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 429m

Arrival 10m

Jacksonville (JAX) → Jacksonville, FL 30m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $54) $54

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

Stations

From WPB — West Palm Beach Amtrak Station 0 mi, ~30m drive

To JAX — Jacksonville 0 mi, ~30m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~16/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

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

8h 15m

6h 50m on road

Total Cost

$28

CO2

16 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Palm Beach Gardens, FL → Jupiter (Jupiter Shell) (JIP6) 30m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 410m

Arrival 10m

Jacksonville (Downtown) (JAX6) → Jacksonville, FL 30m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $28) $28

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

Stations

From JIP6 — Jupiter (Jupiter Shell) 0 mi, ~30m drive

To JAX6 — Jacksonville (Downtown) 0 mi, ~30m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~8/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 8 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	5h 2m	3h 3m	8h 49m	8h 15m
Total cost (1 person)	$86	$185	$54	$28
Carbon footprint	109 kg CO₂	66 kg CO₂	16 kg CO₂	16 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 Jul 21, 2026.

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