Drive or Fly: Long Beach, WA to Tacoma, 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 OLM–TIW. At 140 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 18m

Distance

140.2 mi

Total Cost

$66

CO2

57 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$31

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

4h 6m

12m in the air

Air Distance

98 mi

Total Cost

$124

CO2

25 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Long Beach, WA → OLM 104m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 12m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

TIW → Tacoma, WA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $124) $124

Airports

Long Beach, WA OLM — Olympia Regional Airport 69 mi, ~104m drive

Tacoma, WA TIW — Tacoma Narrows Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between OLM and TIW. 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

3h 56m

1h 41m on rail

Total Cost

$16

CO2

5 kg

Route

Amtrak Cascades

Door-to-Door Timeline

Long Beach, WA → Kelso-Longview 85m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 101m

Arrival 10m

Tacoma → Tacoma, WA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $16) $16

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

Stations

From Kelso-Longview 56 mi, ~85m drive

To Tacoma 1 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~6/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 6 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

3h 4m

40m on road

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

FlixBus N2111

Door-to-Door Timeline

Long Beach, WA → Olympia (Intercity Transit Center) (1OL) 109m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 40m

Arrival 10m

Tacoma (G St & Puyallup Ave) (1TA) → Tacoma, WA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $3) $3

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

Stations

From 1OL — Olympia (Intercity Transit Center) 73 mi, ~109m drive

To 1TA — Tacoma (G St & Puyallup Ave) 1 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~7/week

+ Usually the cheapest option

+ Wi-Fi and power outlets on board

+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route

+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying

− Limited schedule — about 7 trips per week

− Travel time longer than driving

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Train	Bus
Door-to-door time	3h 18m	4h 6m	3h 56m	3h 4m
Total cost (1 person)	$66	$124	$16	$3
Carbon footprint	57 kg CO₂	25 kg CO₂	5 kg CO₂	2 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, FlixBus 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.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Long Beach, WA to Tacoma, WA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.