Drive or Fly: Rockford, IL to Garden Plain, IL?

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 RFD–MLI. At 93 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

1h 55m

Distance

93.1 mi

Total Cost

$55

CO2

38 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$20

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 4m

7m in the air

Air Distance

62 mi

Total Cost

$122

CO2

16 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Rockford, IL → RFD 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 7m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

MLI → Garden Plain, IL 47m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $122) $122

Airports

Rockford, IL RFD — Chicago Rockford International Airport 5 mi, ~10m drive

Garden Plain, IL MLI — Quad City International Airport 31 mi, ~47m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between RFD and MLI. 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 38m

43m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

3 kg

Route

Carl Sandburg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Rockford, IL → Mendota Amtrak Station 75m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 43m

Arrival 10m

Kewanee Amtrak Station → Garden Plain, IL 60m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $9) $9

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

Stations

From Mendota Amtrak Station 50 mi, ~75m drive

To Kewanee Amtrak Station 40 mi, ~60m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~1/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 1 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

3h 13m

1h 55m on road

Total Cost

$11

CO2

6 kg

Route

Greyhound US0154S

Door-to-Door Timeline

Rockford, IL → Rockford(East Side Transfer Center) (RFE6) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 115m

Arrival 10m

Moline Center Station (Metrolink) (MOL6) → Garden Plain, IL 43m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $11) $11

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

Stations

From RFE6 — Rockford(East Side Transfer Center) 7 mi, ~10m drive

To MOL6 — Moline Center Station (Metrolink) 29 mi, ~43m 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	1h 55m	3h 4m	3h 38m	3h 13m
Total cost (1 person)	$55	$122	$9	$11
Carbon footprint	38 kg CO₂	16 kg CO₂	3 kg CO₂	6 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 26, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

93.1 mi 1h 55m

via I 88; IL 110, I 39; US 51, Lincoln Road

Shortest (+9 min)

81.9 mi 2h 4m

via IL 2, I 88; IL 110, Lincoln Road

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Rockford, IL to Garden Plain, IL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.