Drive or Fly: Fort Bragg, CA to San Francisco, 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 STS–SFO. At 171 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 46m

Distance

171.3 mi

Total Cost

$73

CO2

69 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$38

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 40m

17m in the air

Air Distance

138 mi

Total Cost

$126

CO2

35 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Fort Bragg, CA → STS 126m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 17m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

SFO → San Francisco, CA 17m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $126) $126

Airports

Fort Bragg, CA STS — Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport 84 mi, ~126m drive

San Francisco, CA SFO — San Francisco International Airport 11 mi, ~17m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between STS and SFO. 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

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly
Door-to-door time	3h 46m	4h 40m
Total cost (1 person)	$73	$126
Carbon footprint	69 kg CO₂	35 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 15, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Fort Bragg, CA to San Francisco, CA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.