Checked 7×
Is it cheaper to fly or drive a Tesla from New York, NY to California, MO?
Book the flightFlying saves you
13h 44m
Flying is cheaper by $2
In the car
19h 21m
Stress
About even
Car 64 · Flight 61
1,096 mi by road
5h 36m by air, only 2h 20m of it flying. 1 in 5 run late.
How this was priced
New York, NY to California, MO is 1,096 mi by road — 19h 21m of driving and 6 Supercharger stops — against 5h 36m door to door by air. Flying is the better call: the flight costs $357 against $359 to drive, and it saves 13h 44m of travel. On the 0-100 stress scale the drive scores 64 and the flight 61.
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 27 September 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: new-york-ny-to-california-mo.json
- Last recalculated 2026-09-27 · checked 7×. Costs are modelled estimates, not quotes.
Questions about this trip
Is it cheaper to drive a Tesla or fly from New York, NY to California, MO?
Driving costs about $359 and flying about $357, so flying is cheaper by $2. 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 19h 21m including 6 Supercharger stops. Flying is about 5h 36m, counting the trip to the airport, security, the flight and getting to your destination.
How many Supercharger stops will I need?
About 6 Supercharger stops for 1,096 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 27 September 2026. Every rate and where it comes from is on the Sources page.