Drive or Fly: Tomball, TX to Amarillo, TX?

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 IAH–AMA. At 570 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

10h 12m

Distance

570.5 mi

Total Cost

$306

CO2

230 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$126

Hotel (1 room, 1 night) $110

Meals (1 pax, 2 days) $70

+ No luggage restrictions or TSA lines

+ Stop anywhere along the route

+ Have your own car at the destination

− Requires 2 days of driving

− Driver fatigue on longer stretches

− Wear and tear on vehicle

− Fuel price fluctuations

Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

3h 39m

1h 1m in the air

Air Distance

506 mi

Total Cost

$195

CO2

129 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Tomball, TX → IAH 27m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 61m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

AMA → Amarillo, TX 11m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $140) $140

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Tomball, TX IAH — George Bush Intercontinental Airport 18 mi, ~27m drive

Amarillo, TX AMA — Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport 7 mi, ~11m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between IAH and AMA. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Saves about 6h 33m compared to driving

+ 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	10h 12m	3h 39m
Total cost (1 person)	$306	$195
Carbon footprint	230 kg CO₂	129 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

570.5 mi 10h 12m

via US 287, TX 6, US 81; US 287

Alternative (+64 min)

625.7 mi 11h 17m

via US 84, I 27; US 87, TX 6

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Tomball, TX to Amarillo, TX with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.