Drive or Fly: Country Homes, WA to Yakima, WA?

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 GEG–YKM. At 210 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 59m

Distance

210.3 mi

Total Cost

$75

CO2

85 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$40

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 46m

20m in the air

Air Distance

166 mi

Total Cost

$182

CO2

42 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Country Homes, WA → GEG 16m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 20m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

YKM → Yakima, WA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $127) $127

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Country Homes, WA GEG — Spokane International Airport 11 mi, ~16m drive

Yakima, WA YKM — Yakima Air Terminal McAllister Field 3 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between GEG and YKM. 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

− May need a rental car at destination

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

5h 32m

3h 16m on rail

Total Cost

$27

CO2

8 kg

Route

Empire Builder

Door-to-Door Timeline

Country Homes, WA → Spokane (SPK) 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 196m

Arrival 10m

Wenatchee Amtrak (WEN) → Yakima, WA 86m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $27) $27

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

Stations

From SPK — Spokane 6 mi, ~10m drive

To WEN — Wenatchee Amtrak 57 mi, ~86m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~5/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 5 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 59m	2h 46m	5h 32m
Total cost (1 person)	$75	$182	$27
Carbon footprint	85 kg CO₂	42 kg CO₂	8 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 Jul 20, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Country Homes, WA to Yakima, WA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.