Drive or Fly: Forest Grove, OR to Corvallis, 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–SLE. At 70 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

1h 40m

Distance

70.9 mi

Total Cost

$51

CO2

29 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$16

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

3h 27m

8m in the air

Air Distance

66 mi

Total Cost

$123

CO2

17 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Forest Grove, OR → PDX 38m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 8m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

SLE → Corvallis, OR 41m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $123) $123

Airports

Forest Grove, OR PDX — Portland International Airport 25 mi, ~38m drive

Corvallis, OR SLE — Salem-Willamette Valley Airport/McNary Field 27 mi, ~41m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between PDX and SLE. 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

3h 10m

1h 44m on rail

Total Cost

$13

CO2

4 kg

Route

Amtrak Cascades

Door-to-Door Timeline

Forest Grove, OR → Portland 32m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 104m

Arrival 10m

Albany Amtrak Station → Corvallis, OR 14m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $13) $13

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

Stations

From Portland 21 mi, ~32m drive

To Albany Amtrak Station 9 mi, ~14m 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

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

3h 1m

1h 55m on road

Total Cost

CO2

4 kg

Route

FlixBus N2111

Door-to-Door Timeline

Forest Grove, OR → Portland Curbside Bus Stop (PUT6) 31m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 115m

Arrival 10m

Corvallis (Oregon State University - 14th St/Jefferson Way) (1CV) → Corvallis, OR 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $8) $8

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

Stations

From PUT6 — Portland Curbside Bus Stop 21 mi, ~31m drive

To 1CV — Corvallis (Oregon State University - 14th St/Jefferson Way) 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	Train	Bus
Door-to-door time	1h 40m	3h 27m	3h 10m	3h 1m
Total cost (1 person)	$51	$123	$13	$8
Carbon footprint	29 kg CO₂	17 kg CO₂	4 kg CO₂	4 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 Forest Grove, OR to Corvallis, OR with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.