Drive or Fly: Richardson, TX to Arlington, TX?

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 DAL–DFW. At 32 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

41m

Distance

32.1 mi

Total Cost

$42

CO2

13 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$7

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

2h 36m

3m in the air

Air Distance

26 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

7 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Richardson, TX → DAL 15m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 3m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

DFW → Arlington, TX 18m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

Richardson, TX DAL — Dallas Love Field 10 mi, ~15m drive

Arlington, TX DFW — Dallas Fort Worth International Airport 12 mi, ~18m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between DAL and DFW. 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

2h 25m

1h 7m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

Texas Eagle

Door-to-Door Timeline

Richardson, TX → Dallas 19m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 67m

Arrival 10m

Fort Worth → Arlington, TX 19m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $6) $6

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

Stations

From Dallas 13 mi, ~19m drive

To Fort Worth 13 mi, ~19m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~8/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 8 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

1h 11m

20m on road

Total Cost

CO2

1 kg

Route

Greyhound US1000

Door-to-Door Timeline

Richardson, TX → Dallas Bus Station (DLD6) 16m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 20m

Arrival 10m

Arlington (7-Eleven) (ART6) → Arlington, TX 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $2) $2

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

Stations

From DLD6 — Dallas Bus Station 11 mi, ~16m drive

To ART6 — Arlington (7-Eleven) 1 mi, ~10m 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	41m	2h 36m	2h 25m	1h 11m
Total cost (1 person)	$42	$121	$6	$2
Carbon footprint	13 kg CO₂	7 kg CO₂	2 kg CO₂	1 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.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

32.1 mi 41m

via PGBT, I 635 TEXpress, I 30

Alternative (+2 min)

33.4 mi 43m

via I 30, US 75

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Richardson, TX to Arlington, TX with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.