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Drive or Fly: St. Louis, MO to Princeton, 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 STL–IRK. At 280 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

5h 50m

Distance

280.1 mi

Total Cost

$97

CO2

113 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$62
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 13m

26m in the air

Air Distance

218 mi

Total Cost

$184

CO2

56 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

St. Louis, MO → STL 19m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 26m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
IRK → Princeton, MO 88m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $129) $129
Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

St. Louis, MO STL — St. Louis Lambert International Airport 13 mi, ~19m drive
Princeton, MO IRK — Kirksville Regional Airport 59 mi, ~88m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between STL and IRK. 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
− May need a rental car at destination
− Luggage fees and restrictions
− Less flexibility for stops along the way

At a Glance

Drive Fly
Door-to-door time 5h 50m 4h 13m
Total cost (1 person) $97 $184
Carbon footprint 113 kg CO2 56 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 21, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest
280.1 mi 5h 50m

via US 24; US 36; MO 110, I 64; US 40; US 61, US 65; US 36 Business

Alternative (+2 min)
284.7 mi 5h 52m

via I 70; US 40, US 36; MO 110, US 63

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from St. Louis, MO to Princeton, MO with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.