Drive or Fly: Bunker Hill, OR to Salem, 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 OTH–SLE. At 169 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

4h 4m

Distance

169.1 mi

Total Cost

$72

CO2

68 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$37

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 35m

15m in the air

Air Distance

124 mi

Total Cost

$125

CO2

32 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Bunker Hill, OR → OTH 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 15m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

SLE → Salem, OR 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $125) $125

Airports

Bunker Hill, OR OTH — Southwest Oregon Regional Airport 5 mi, ~10m drive

Salem, OR SLE — Salem-Willamette Valley Airport/McNary Field 3 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between OTH and SLE. 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

3h 49m

1h 9m on rail

Total Cost

$12

CO2

4 kg

Route

Amtrak Cascades

Door-to-Door Timeline

Bunker Hill, OR → Eugene 110m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 69m

Arrival 10m

Salem → Salem, OR 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $12) $12

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

Stations

From Eugene 74 mi, ~110m drive

To Salem 1 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~2/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 2 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

4h 26m

2h on road

Total Cost

CO2

4 kg

Route

FlixBus 2110

Door-to-Door Timeline

Bunker Hill, OR → Eugene (University of Oregon - Jaqua Academic Ctr) (1UJ) 111m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 120m

Arrival 10m

Salem (Chemeketa & Liberty) (1SA) → Salem, OR 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $7) $7

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

Stations

From 1UJ — Eugene (University of Oregon - Jaqua Academic Ctr) 74 mi, ~111m drive

To 1SA — Salem (Chemeketa & Liberty) 0 mi, ~10m 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	4h 4m	2h 35m	3h 49m	4h 26m
Total cost (1 person)	$72	$125	$12	$7
Carbon footprint	68 kg CO₂	32 kg CO₂	4 kg CO₂	4 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 15, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Bunker Hill, OR to Salem, OR with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.