Drive or Fly: Slater, MO to Lee's Summit, MO?

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 COU–MCI. At 96 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

1h 58m

Distance

96.1 mi

Total Cost

$56

CO2

39 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$21

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

4h 17m

9m in the air

Air Distance

74 mi

Total Cost

$123

CO2

19 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Slater, MO → COU 80m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 9m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

MCI → Lee's Summit, MO 48m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $123) $123

Airports

Slater, MO COU — Columbia Regional Airport 53 mi, ~80m drive

Lee's Summit, MO MCI — Kansas City International Airport 32 mi, ~48m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between COU and MCI. 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 56m

1h 12m on rail

Total Cost

$13

CO2

4 kg

Route

Lincoln Service Missouri River Runner

Door-to-Door Timeline

Slater, MO → Sedalia Amtrak Station 54m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 72m

Arrival 10m

Lee'S Summit Amtrak → Lee's Summit, MO 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $13) $13

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

Stations

From Sedalia Amtrak Station 36 mi, ~54m drive

To Lee'S Summit Amtrak 0 mi, ~10m 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 14m

1h 45m on road

Total Cost

$11

CO2

6 kg

Route

Greyhound US0175s

Door-to-Door Timeline

Slater, MO → Boonville (Break Time) (BNV6) 39m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 105m

Arrival 10m

Kansas City Bus Station (KCD6) → Lee's Summit, MO 25m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $11) $11

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

Stations

From BNV6 — Boonville (Break Time) 26 mi, ~39m drive

To KCD6 — Kansas City Bus Station 16 mi, ~25m 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 58m	4h 17m	2h 56m	3h 14m
Total cost (1 person)	$56	$123	$13	$11
Carbon footprint	39 kg CO₂	19 kg CO₂	4 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 19, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Slater, MO to Lee's Summit, MO with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.