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Drive or Fly: Sioux City, IA to West Des Moines, 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 SUX–DSM. At 194 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 35m

Distance

194.5 mi

Total Cost

$78

CO2

79 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$43
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 39m

18m in the air

Air Distance

152 mi

Total Cost

$126

CO2

39 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Sioux City, IA → SUX 11m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 18m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
DSM → West Des Moines, IA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $126) $126

Airports

Sioux City, IA SUX — Sioux Gateway Airport / Brigadier General Bud Day Field 7 mi, ~11m drive
West Des Moines, IA DSM — Des Moines International Airport 4 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between SUX and DSM. 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 3h 35m 2h 39m
Total cost (1 person) $78 $126
Carbon footprint 79 kg CO2 39 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
194.5 mi 3h 35m

via I 80, I 29, I 880

Alternative (+36 min)
196.1 mi 4h 11m

via US 20, US 169, IA 141

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