Drive or Fly: Fife Heights, WA to Spokane, 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 TIW–GEG. At 288 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

5h 26m

Distance

288 mi

Total Cost

$99

CO2

116 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$64

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 54m

28m in the air

Air Distance

231 mi

Total Cost

$184

CO2

59 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Fife Heights, WA → TIW 16m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 28m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

GEG → Spokane, WA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $129) $129

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Fife Heights, WA TIW — Tacoma Narrows Airport 11 mi, ~16m drive

Spokane, WA GEG — Spokane International Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

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

+ Saves about 2h 32m 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

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

7h 25m

6h 40m on road

Total Cost

$26

CO2

14 kg

Route

FlixBus 2120

Door-to-Door Timeline

Fife Heights, WA → Tacoma (G St & Puyallup Ave) (1TA) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 400m

Arrival 10m

Spokane Station (SPO6) → Spokane, WA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $26) $26

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

Stations

From 1TA — Tacoma (G St & Puyallup Ave) 4 mi, ~10m drive

To SPO6 — Spokane Station 1 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	Bus
Door-to-door time	5h 26m	2h 54m	7h 25m
Total cost (1 person)	$99	$184	$26
Carbon footprint	116 kg CO₂	59 kg CO₂	14 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: 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 Fife Heights, WA to Spokane, WA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.