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Is it cheaper to fly or drive a Tesla from Bend, OR to Chicago, IL?
Book the flightFlying is cheaper by
$345
In the car
34h 10m
Stress
About even
Car 54 · Flight 57
2,007 mi by road
7h 22m by air, only 4h 6m of it flying. 1 in 5 run late.
How this was priced
Bend, OR to Chicago, IL is 2,007 mi by road — 34h 10m of driving and 11 Supercharger stops — against 7h 22m door to door by air. Flying is the better call: the flight costs $471 against $816 to drive, and it saves 26h 49m of travel. On the 0-100 stress scale the drive scores 54 and the flight 57.
Priced with fast charging at $0.50 per kWh and 3.7 miles per kWh, airfare from a $95 base plus $0.13 a mile per person, one $35 bag and a $30 ride at each end. Airfare is modelled from flight distance, not a live fare quote, so treat it as a typical fare rather than today's price. Rates last reviewed 14 September 2026; this trip last priced 24 October 2026.
Checking the route…
Check this yourself
- Distance and drive time come from live road routing, not straight lines.
- Every rate used is listed on Cost analysis and sourced on Sources.
- This trip as raw data: bend-or-to-chicago-il.json
- Last recalculated 2026-10-24 · checked 1×. Costs are modelled estimates, not quotes.
Questions about this trip
Is it cheaper to drive a Tesla or fly from Bend, OR to Chicago, IL?
Driving costs about $816 and flying about $471, so flying is cheaper by $345. The drive counts charging and a hotel night if it takes more than a day. The flight counts fares, bags, airport food on long flights and the rides at both ends.
How long does each take, door to door?
The drive is about 34h 10m including 11 Supercharger stops. Flying is about 7h 22m, counting the trip to the airport, security, the flight and getting to your destination.
How many Supercharger stops will I need?
About 11 Supercharger stops for 2,007 mi, assuming you leave full and charge to roughly 80% at each stop. Real range drops in cold weather, rain and at high speed.
How accurate are these numbers?
They're modelled estimates, not quotes. Airfares change daily, so check a real fare before booking. This trip was last priced 24 October 2026. Every rate and where it comes from is on the Sources page.