Drive or Fly: Daly City, CA to San Diego, CA?

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 SFO–SAN. At 508 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

9h 37m

Distance

508 mi

Total Cost

$148

CO2

205 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$113

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

− Driver fatigue on longer stretches

− Wear and tear on vehicle

− Fuel price fluctuations

Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

3h 16m

55m in the air

Air Distance

456 mi

Total Cost

$193

CO2

116 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Daly City, CA → SFO 11m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 55m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

SAN → San Diego, CA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $138) $138

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Daly City, CA SFO — San Francisco International Airport 8 mi, ~11m drive

San Diego, CA SAN — San Diego International Airport 2 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between SFO and SAN. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Saves about 6h 21m 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

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly
Door-to-door time	9h 37m	3h 16m
Total cost (1 person)	$148	$193
Carbon footprint	205 kg CO₂	116 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

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 12, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Daly City, CA to San Diego, CA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.