Drive or Fly: Bend, OR to Oak Hills, OR?

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 RDM–PDX. At 178 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 58m

Distance

178.3 mi

Total Cost

$74

CO2

72 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$39

Hotel (1 room, 0 nights) $0

Meals (1 pax, 1 day) $35

+ No luggage restrictions or TSA lines

+ Comfortable one-day drive

+ Stop anywhere along the route

+ Have your own car at the destination

+ Likely faster door-to-door than flying

− Wear and tear on vehicle

− Fuel price fluctuations

Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

2h 57m

15m in the air

Air Distance

127 mi

Total Cost

$125

CO2

32 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Bend, OR → RDM 24m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 15m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

PDX → Oak Hills, OR 18m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $125) $125

Airports

Bend, OR RDM — Roberts Field 16 mi, ~24m drive

Oak Hills, OR PDX — Portland International Airport 12 mi, ~18m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between RDM and PDX. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Less physical fatigue

+ Predictable arrival time

− Airport security and check-in overhead

− No scheduled commercial flights found for this route

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

9h 7m

6h 41m on rail

Total Cost

$33

CO2

10 kg

Route

Coast Starlight

Door-to-Door Timeline

Bend, OR → Chemult 94m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 401m

Arrival 10m

Portland → Oak Hills, OR 12m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $33) $33

Estimated based on distance. Check amtrak.com for current prices.

Stations

From Chemult 63 mi, ~94m drive

To Portland 8 mi, ~12m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~1/week

+ Spacious seating with legroom and power outlets

+ Walk around freely during the trip

+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route

+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying

− Limited schedule — about 1 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Train
Door-to-door time	3h 58m	2h 57m	9h 7m
Total cost (1 person)	$74	$125	$33
Carbon footprint	72 kg CO₂	32 kg CO₂	10 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

Transit: Amtrak GTFS — fares estimated

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

178.3 mi 3h 58m

via OR 22, I 5; OR 99E, US 20; OR 126

Shortest (+15 min)

172.5 mi 4h 13m

via US 26, US 97, I 84; US 30

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Bend, OR to Oak Hills, OR with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.