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Is it cheaper to fly or drive a Tesla from Chicago, IL to Austin, TX?

Fly it. 1,804 km is more road than this trip is worth.

Chicago, IL to Austin, TX is 1,804 km by road — 19h 32m of driving and 6 Supercharger stops — against 5h 49m door to door by air. Flying is the better call: the flight costs $573 against $386 to drive, and it saves 13h 44m of travel. On the 0-100 stress scale the drive scores 64 and the flight 62.

Priced with fast charging at $0.36 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 15 September 2026.