Drive or Fly: Prairie du Chien, WI to Eau Claire, WI?

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 DBQ–EAU. At 154 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 27m

Distance

154.2 mi

Total Cost

$69

CO2

62 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$34

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 40m

15m in the air

Air Distance

123 mi

Total Cost

$125

CO2

31 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Prairie du Chien, WI → DBQ 75m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 15m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

EAU → Eau Claire, WI 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $125) $125

Airports

Prairie du Chien, WI DBQ — Dubuque Regional Airport 50 mi, ~75m drive

Eau Claire, WI EAU — Chippewa Valley Regional Airport 4 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between DBQ and EAU. 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 51m

30m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

1 kg

Route

Empire Builder

Door-to-Door Timeline

Prairie du Chien, WI → La Crosse 81m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 30m

Arrival 10m

Winona → Eau Claire, WI 80m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $5) $5

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

Stations

From La Crosse 54 mi, ~81m drive

To Winona 53 mi, ~80m 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

3h 49m

1h 23m on road

Total Cost

CO2

5 kg

Route

Greyhound US0150

Door-to-Door Timeline

Prairie du Chien, WI → Tomah (McDonald's) (TOM6) 111m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 83m

Arrival 10m

Eau Claire (McDonald's) (5EU) → Eau Claire, WI 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $9) $9

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

Stations

From TOM6 — Tomah (McDonald's) 74 mi, ~111m drive

To 5EU — Eau Claire (McDonald's) 5 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~14/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

− 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	3h 27m	3h 40m	3h 51m	3h 49m
Total cost (1 person)	$69	$125	$5	$9
Carbon footprint	62 kg CO₂	31 kg CO₂	1 kg CO₂	5 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 19, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

154.2 mi 3h 27m

via WI 27, I 94, WI 27; WI 71

Shortest (+2 min)

143.8 mi 3h 29m

via WI 35, WI 93, WI 93; WI 121

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Prairie du Chien, WI to Eau Claire, WI with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.