Drive or Fly: Rock Valley, IA to Sioux City, IA?

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 FSD–SUX. At 53 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

1h 20m

Distance

53.8 mi

Total Cost

$47

CO2

22 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$12

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 9m

6m in the air

Air Distance

49 mi

Total Cost

$122

CO2

13 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Rock Valley, IA → FSD 52m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 6m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

SUX → Sioux City, IA 11m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $122) $122

Airports

Rock Valley, IA FSD — Sioux Falls Regional Airport 35 mi, ~52m drive

Sioux City, IA SUX — Sioux Gateway Airport / Brigadier General Bud Day Field 7 mi, ~11m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between FSD and SUX. 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

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly
Door-to-door time	1h 20m	3h 9m
Total cost (1 person)	$47	$122
Carbon footprint	22 kg CO₂	13 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

53.8 mi 1h 20m

via County Road K22, CR K30, CR K22

Alternative (+1 min)

55.5 mi 1h 22m

via CR K30, US 75, CR K42

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Rock Valley, IA to Sioux City, IA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.