Drive or Fly: Colville, WA to Kirkland, 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 GEG–BFI. At 350 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

6h 47m

Distance

350.6 mi

Total Cost

$113

CO2

142 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$78

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 21m

25m in the air

Air Distance

207 mi

Total Cost

$183

CO2

53 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Colville, WA → GEG 99m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 25m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

BFI → Kirkland, WA 17m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $128) $128

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Colville, WA GEG — Spokane International Airport 66 mi, ~99m drive

Kirkland, WA BFI — King County International Airport - Boeing Field 12 mi, ~17m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between GEG and BFI. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Saves about 2h 26m 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

13h 4m

10h 34m on rail

Total Cost

$54

CO2

16 kg

Route

Empire Builder

Door-to-Door Timeline

Colville, WA → Sandpoint Amtrak 98m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 634m

Arrival 10m

Seattle → Kirkland, WA 12m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $54) $54

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

Stations

From Sandpoint Amtrak 65 mi, ~98m drive

To Seattle 8 mi, ~12m 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

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Train
Door-to-door time	6h 47m	4h 21m	13h 4m
Total cost (1 person)	$113	$183	$54
Carbon footprint	142 kg CO₂	53 kg CO₂	16 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 Colville, WA to Kirkland, WA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.