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Drive or Fly: Fresno, CA to Riverdale Park, 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–SCK. At 97 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

1h 59m

Distance

97.9 mi

Total Cost

$57

CO2

40 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$22
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

11m in the air

Air Distance

92 mi

Total Cost

$124

CO2

24 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Fresno, CA → FAT 10m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 11m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
SCK → Riverdale Park, CA 33m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $124) $124

Airports

Fresno, CA FAT — Fresno Yosemite International Airport 4 mi, ~10m drive
Riverdale Park, CA SCK — Stockton Metropolitan Airport 22 mi, ~33m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between FAT and SCK. 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

2h 35m

1h 50m on road

Total Cost

$10

CO2

5 kg

Route

Greyhound US0810

Door-to-Door Timeline

Fresno, CA → Fresno Bus Station (FRS6) 10m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 110m
Arrival 10m
Modesto Bus Stop (MDO6) → Riverdale Park, CA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $10) $10

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

Stations

From FRS6 — Fresno Bus Station 1 mi, ~10m drive
To MDO6 — Modesto Bus Stop 3 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~14/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
Travel time longer than driving
Need transportation to/from station
Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

Drive Fly Bus
Door-to-door time 1h 59m 2h 54m 2h 35m
Total cost (1 person) $57 $124 $10
Carbon footprint 40 kg CO2 24 kg CO2 5 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 16, 2026.

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