Drive or Fly: Washington, DC to Los Angeles, CA?

Side-by-side comparison of driving versus flying for this route. Costs, time, and trade-offs at a glance.

Flying wins

Medium

Flying saves significant time at this distance. Consider driving only if you enjoy the road trip.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

46h 55m

Distance

2672.4 mi

Total Cost

$1,205

CO2

1080 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$590

Hotel (1 room, 4 nights) $440

Meals (1 pax, 5 days) $175

+ No luggage restrictions or TSA lines

+ Stop anywhere along the route

+ Have your own car at the destination

− Requires 5 days of driving

− Driver fatigue on longer stretches

− Wear and tear on vehicle

− Fuel price fluctuations

Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

7h 1m

4h 35m in the air

Air Distance

2294 mi

Total Cost

$419

CO2

585 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Washington, DC → DCA 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 275m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

HHR → Los Angeles, CA 16m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $364) $364

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Washington, DC DCA — Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport 3 mi, ~10m drive

Los Angeles, CA HHR — Jack Northrop Field Hawthorne Municipal Airport 10 mi, ~16m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between DCA and HHR. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Saves about 39h 54m 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	46h 55m	7h 1m
Total cost (1 person)	$1,205	$419
Carbon footprint	1080 kg CO₂	585 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 Apr 19, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

2672.4 mi 46h 54m

via I 40, I 81, I 40; US 66 Hist

Shortest (+26 min)

2640.5 mi 47h 20m

via I 40, I 70, I 44; US 50

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Washington, DC to Los Angeles, CA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.