Drive or Fly: Medford, OR to Pilot Rock, 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 MFR–PDT. At 426 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

9h 16m

Distance

426.9 mi

Total Cost

$125

CO2

172 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$90

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

− Driver fatigue on longer stretches

− Wear and tear on vehicle

− Fuel price fluctuations

Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

3h 8m

36m in the air

Air Distance

297 mi

Total Cost

$187

CO2

76 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Medford, OR → MFR 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 36m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

PDT → Pilot Rock, OR 22m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $132) $132

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Medford, OR MFR — Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport 3 mi, ~10m drive

Pilot Rock, OR PDT — Eastern Oregon Regional Airport at Pendleton 15 mi, ~22m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between MFR and PDT. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Saves about 6h 8m compared to driving

+ 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

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly
Door-to-door time	9h 16m	3h 8m
Total cost (1 person)	$125	$187
Carbon footprint	172 kg CO₂	76 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

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 Jun 3, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

426.9 mi 9h 15m

via US 97, I 84; US 30, OR 62

Alternative (+22 min)

493.5 mi 9h 37m

via I 5, I 84; US 30, US 395

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Medford, OR to Pilot Rock, OR with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.