Drive or Fly: Bay City, OR to Medford, 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 SLE–MFR. At 302 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

6h 24m

Distance

302.7 mi

Total Cost

$102

CO2

122 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$67

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 8m

27m in the air

Air Distance

227 mi

Total Cost

$184

CO2

58 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Bay City, OR → SLE 91m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 27m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

MFR → Medford, OR 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $129) $129

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Bay City, OR SLE — Salem-Willamette Valley Airport/McNary Field 61 mi, ~91m drive

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

No scheduled flights found

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

+ Saves about 2h 16m 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

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

9h 52m

6h 19m on rail

Total Cost

$39

CO2

11 kg

Route

Coast Starlight

Door-to-Door Timeline

Bay City, OR → Salem 88m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 379m

Arrival 10m

Klamath Falls → Medford, OR 85m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $39) $39

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

Stations

From Salem 58 mi, ~88m drive

To Klamath Falls 57 mi, ~85m 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	6h 24m	4h 8m	9h 52m
Total cost (1 person)	$102	$184	$39
Carbon footprint	122 kg CO₂	58 kg CO₂	11 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 13, 2026.

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