Drive or Fly: Chehalis, WA to Vancouver, 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 OLM–PDX. At 77 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

1h 27m

Distance

77.4 mi

Total Cost

$52

CO2

31 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$17

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 51m

9m in the air

Air Distance

72 mi

Total Cost

$123

CO2

18 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Chehalis, WA → OLM 32m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 9m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

PDX → Vancouver, WA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $123) $123

Airports

Chehalis, WA OLM — Olympia Regional Airport 21 mi, ~32m drive

Vancouver, WA PDX — Portland International Airport 5 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between OLM and PDX. 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 18m

1h 18m on rail

Total Cost

$15

CO2

4 kg

Route

Amtrak Cascades

Door-to-Door Timeline

Chehalis, WA → Centralia Amtrak Station 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 78m

Arrival 10m

Vancouver → Vancouver, WA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $15) $15

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

Stations

From Centralia Amtrak Station 4 mi, ~10m drive

To Vancouver 1 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~6/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 6 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

3h 11m

1h 55m on road

Total Cost

$12

CO2

6 kg

Route

FlixBus 2120

Door-to-Door Timeline

Chehalis, WA → Olympia (Intercity Transit Center) (1OL) 40m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 115m

Arrival 10m

Portland Curbside Bus Stop (PUT6) → Vancouver, WA 11m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $12) $12

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

Stations

From 1OL — Olympia (Intercity Transit Center) 27 mi, ~40m drive

To PUT6 — Portland Curbside Bus Stop 8 mi, ~11m 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	1h 27m	2h 51m	2h 18m	3h 11m
Total cost (1 person)	$52	$123	$15	$12
Carbon footprint	31 kg CO₂	18 kg CO₂	4 kg CO₂	6 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 Chehalis, WA to Vancouver, WA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.