Drive or Fly: Damascus, OR to Beaverton, 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 PDX–PDX. At 27 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

37m

Distance

27.3 mi

Total Cost

$41

CO2

11 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$6
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 40m

2m in the air

Air Distance

17 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

4 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Damascus, OR → PDX 20m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 2m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
PDX → Beaverton, OR 18m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

Damascus, OR PDX — Portland International Airport 14 mi, ~20m drive
Beaverton, OR PDX — Portland International Airport 12 mi, ~18m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between PDX 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

1h 42m

41m on rail

Total Cost

$2

CO2

1 kg

Route

Amtrak Cascades

Door-to-Door Timeline

Damascus, OR → Oregon City Amtrak 11m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 41m
Arrival 10m
Portland → Beaverton, OR 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $2) $2

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

Stations

From Oregon City Amtrak 8 mi, ~11m drive
To Portland 7 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

At a Glance

Drive Fly Train
Door-to-door time 37m 2h 40m 1h 42m
Total cost (1 person) $41 $121 $2
Carbon footprint 11 kg CO2 4 kg CO2 1 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 Damascus, OR to Beaverton, OR with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.