The Cost to Drive calculator computes the fuel cost and mileage expense of a road trip based on the distance, miles per gallon, cost per gallon and whether the trip was for Personal, Business, Moving or Medical, Charitable purposes.
INSTRUCTIONS: Choose units and enter the following:
- (m) Total Miles Driven
- (mpg) Miles per Gallon (average for vehicle)
- (ppg) Price per Gallon
- (TxT) Tax Type Trip
- CHOOSE: Personal, Business, Moving or Medical, Charitable
Total Cost to Drive (TC): The calculator returns the Cost to Drive in U.S. dollars. However, this can be automatically converted to other currencies via the pull-down menu.
The Math / Science
Many people would rather drive than fly, and sometimes it makes economic sense if the time on the road is not prohibitive. The formula for the cost to drive is:
TC = ( M / mpg) ⋅ ppg
where:
- TC = Total Cost of Fuel on a Road Trip
- M = Miles Traveled
- mpg = Miles per Gallon
- ppg = Dollars per Gallon
Tax Deductions and Business Reimbursement
The US Mileage Rate for Business Travel shows the dollars per mile deduction for business travel for the calendar year. The most recently queried information from the IRS website on mileage includes:
Mileage Calendar Year: 2024
- $0.67 USD/mi: Mileage Deduction for Business Travel
- $0.21 USD/mi: Mileage Deduction for Moving or Medical Travel
- $0.14 USD/mi: Mileage Deduction for Charitable Donation Travel
Use these deductions rates in the Mileage Tax Deduction Calculator. It computes tax deductions from miles travelled. Just enter the miles traveled and see the dollar amount associates for business, moving or medical, and charitable work.
Other Travel Considerations
Consider a trip from south west Pennsylvania to Orlando Florida that is 950 miles each way. The driving time would be fourteen hours and twenty minutes each way. This would be a long day driving each way, and one should not drive more than nine or ten hours in a day, so we'll stop at a hotel for the night each way.
With two people traveling, we have:
- 1,900 total miles
- 34 mpg in our car
- $2.80 per gallon as the average cost of gas (petrol)
- 24 meals (4 travel days * 3 meals per day * 2 people)
- $15 per meal
- 2 nights in a hotel
- $150 per night
Total Price to Drive is $790.
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Road Travel Equations
- Approach Angle: Computes the maximum angle of a ramp or other incline onto which a vehicle can climb without interference (scraping) the ramp or incline.
- Breakover Angle: Computes the maximum angle that a vehicle can drive over without the ground touching the vehicle's undercarriage.
- Canadian Dollars per Liter to US Dollar per Gallon: Computes the price of gasoline or diesel in U.S. dollars per gallon based on the price per liter in Canadian Dollars.
- Compare US dollars per Gallon with Canadian dollars per Liter: Price compares two items where one is in U.S. dollar per Gallon vs another in Canadian dollars per Liter. It identifies the least expensive and the percent difference.
- Compute the Cost of a Road-Trip
- Cost to Drive: Computes the fuel cost and mileage expense of a road trip based on the distance, miles per gallon, cost per gallon and whether the trip was for Personal, Business, Moving or Medical, Charitable purposes.
- Cost to Idle: Computes the total fuel cost of idling a number of vehicles based on the fuel consumption rate at idle, the cost of fuel and the duration of time at idle.
- Fuel Cost over a Distance: Computes the cost of fuel for a trip based on the distance, fuel efficiency (mpg) and the price of fuel.
- Fuel Dollars per Mile: Computes the average fuel (gas/petrol) expense per unit distance (mile and kilometer) based on the mileage rate (miles per gallon) and cost per unit fuel (dollar per gallon).
- Fuel per Mile: Computes the average fuel consumption per mile.
- Gas Mileage: Computes the average fuel economy in average miles per gallon based on the distance traveled and the fuel consumed.
- Gas Mileage Equation: Computes the average gas mileage based on the starting odometer reading, the current odometer reading and the total gallons used between the two.
- Mexican Pesos per Liter to US Dollars per Gallon: Computes the price of gasoline in U.S. dollars per gallon based on the entered price of Mexican Pesos per Liter.
- Mileage Tax Deduction: Expense allocation based on miles traveled and category of travel (see below).
- Speed to Overtake by Distance: Computes the average speed required to overtake a vehicle based on the speed of the vehicle, the head start, and the total distance.
- Time to Overtake: Time to intercept based on distance between vehicles and average speed of both
- Time to Travel: Time driving based on average speed and distance.
- US Dollar per Gallon to Canadian Dollar per Liter: Computes the price of gasoline in Canadian dollars per liter based on the price per gallon in U.S. Dollars.
- Vehicle Miles Traveled: Computes the distance a vehicle has traveled based on the speed and duration of travel.
Data Items
- Mileage Deduction Calendar Year
- Mileage Deduction for Business Travel
- Mileage Deduction for Moving or Medical Travel
- Mileage Deduction for Charitable Donation Travel