Drive or Fly: Fresno, CA to Castaic, 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 FAT–BUR. At 179 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

3h 20m

Distance

179.4 mi

Total Cost

$75

CO2

72 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$40

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 7m

20m in the air

Air Distance

169 mi

Total Cost

$127

CO2

43 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Fresno, CA → FAT 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 20m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

BUR → Castaic, CA 37m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $127) $127

Airports

Fresno, CA FAT — Fresno Yosemite International Airport 4 mi, ~10m drive

Castaic, CA BUR — Hollywood Burbank/Bob Hope Airport 25 mi, ~37m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between FAT and BUR. 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

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

4h 56m

3h 55m on road

Total Cost

$20

CO2

11 kg

Route

FlixBus 2006

Door-to-Door Timeline

Fresno, CA → Fresno Bus Station (FRS6) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 235m

Arrival 10m

Los Angeles (Laurel Canyon/Rinaldi - San Fernando) (0RN) → Castaic, CA 26m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $20) $20

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

Stations

From FRS6 — Fresno Bus Station 1 mi, ~10m drive

To 0RN — Los Angeles (Laurel Canyon/Rinaldi - San Fernando) 17 mi, ~26m 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	3h 20m	3h 7m	4h 56m
Total cost (1 person)	$75	$127	$20
Carbon footprint	72 kg CO₂	43 kg CO₂	11 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 12, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Fresno, CA to Castaic, CA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.