Drive or Fly: St. Petersburg, FL to Horizon West, FL?

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 PIE–MCO. At 94 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

1h 54m

Distance

94.9 mi

Total Cost

$56

CO2

38 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

2h 52m

9m in the air

Air Distance

79 mi

Total Cost

$123

CO2

20 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

St. Petersburg, FL → PIE 14m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 9m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

MCO → Horizon West, FL 29m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $123) $123

Airports

St. Petersburg, FL PIE — St. Petersburg Clearwater International Airport 10 mi, ~14m drive

Horizon West, FL MCO — Orlando International Airport 19 mi, ~29m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between PIE and MCO. 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

4h 45m

3h 5m on rail

Total Cost

$18

CO2

6 kg

Route

Amtrak Thruway Connecting Service

Door-to-Door Timeline

St. Petersburg, FL → St. Petersburg 30m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 185m

Arrival 10m

Orlando → Horizon West, FL 30m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $18) $18

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

Stations

From St. Petersburg 0 mi, ~30m drive

To Orlando 0 mi, ~30m 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

4h 32m

3h 7m on road

Total Cost

$10

CO2

6 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

St. Petersburg, FL → St. Petersburg (FL) (4SP) 30m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 187m

Arrival 10m

Orlando (The Florida Mall) (4OF) → Horizon West, FL 30m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $10) $10

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

Stations

From 4SP — St. Petersburg (FL) 0 mi, ~30m drive

To 4OF — Orlando (The Florida Mall) 0 mi, ~30m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~14/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

− 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 54m	2h 52m	4h 45m	4h 32m
Total cost (1 person)	$56	$123	$18	$10
Carbon footprint	38 kg CO₂	20 kg CO₂	6 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 21, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from St. Petersburg, FL to Horizon West, FL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.