Drive or Fly: Bellingham, WA to Camas, 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 BLI–PDX. At 265 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

5h 17m

Distance

265.1 mi

Total Cost

$94

CO2

107 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$59

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 50m

26m in the air

Air Distance

219 mi

Total Cost

$184

CO2

56 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Bellingham, WA → BLI 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 26m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

PDX → Camas, WA 14m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $129) $129

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Bellingham, WA BLI — Bellingham International Airport 3 mi, ~10m drive

Camas, WA PDX — Portland International Airport 10 mi, ~14m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between BLI and PDX. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Saves about 2h 27m 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

7h 32m

6h 21m on rail

Total Cost

$44

CO2

13 kg

Route

Amtrak Cascades

Door-to-Door Timeline

Bellingham, WA → Bellingham Amtrak Station 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 381m

Arrival 10m

Portland → Camas, WA 21m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $44) $44

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

Stations

From Bellingham Amtrak Station 3 mi, ~10m drive

To Portland 14 mi, ~21m 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

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

6h 26m

5h 30m on road

Total Cost

$24

CO2

13 kg

Route

FlixBus 2115

Door-to-Door Timeline

Bellingham, WA → Bellingham (WWU - Lincoln Creek Park & Ride) (1BH) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 330m

Arrival 10m

Portland Curbside Bus Stop (PUT6) → Camas, WA 21m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $24) $24

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

Stations

From 1BH — Bellingham (WWU - Lincoln Creek Park & Ride) 2 mi, ~10m drive

To PUT6 — Portland Curbside Bus Stop 14 mi, ~21m 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	5h 17m	2h 50m	7h 32m	6h 26m
Total cost (1 person)	$94	$184	$44	$24
Carbon footprint	107 kg CO₂	56 kg CO₂	13 kg CO₂	13 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 13, 2026.

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