Drive or Fly: Bellevue, WA to Arlington, 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 BFI–PAE. At 47 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

1h 3m

Distance

47.6 mi

Total Cost

$46

CO2

19 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$11

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 48m

5m in the air

Air Distance

41 mi

Total Cost

$122

CO2

10 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Bellevue, WA → BFI 11m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 5m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

PAE → Arlington, WA 32m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $122) $122

Airports

Bellevue, WA BFI — King County International Airport - Boeing Field 7 mi, ~11m drive

Arlington, WA PAE — Seattle Paine Field International Airport 22 mi, ~32m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between BFI and PAE. 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

2h 25m

1h 19m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

3 kg

Route

Amtrak Cascades

Door-to-Door Timeline

Bellevue, WA → Seattle 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 79m

Arrival 10m

Stanwood Amtrak → Arlington, WA 16m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $9) $9

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

Stations

From Seattle 6 mi, ~10m drive

To Stanwood Amtrak 11 mi, ~16m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~3/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 3 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	1h 3m	2h 48m	2h 25m
Total cost (1 person)	$46	$122	$9
Carbon footprint	19 kg CO₂	10 kg CO₂	3 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 Bellevue, WA to Arlington, WA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.