Drive or Fly: Frostburg, MD to Fort Washington, MD?

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 JST–DCA. At 167 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

2h 47m

Distance

167 mi

Total Cost

$72

CO2

67 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$37

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 39m

15m in the air

Air Distance

121 mi

Total Cost

$125

CO2

31 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Frostburg, MD → JST 69m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 15m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

DCA → Fort Washington, MD 15m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $125) $125

Airports

Frostburg, MD JST — John Murtha Johnstown Cambria County Airport 46 mi, ~69m drive

Fort Washington, MD DCA — Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport 10 mi, ~15m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between JST and DCA. 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

5h 33m

4h 28m on rail

Total Cost

$22

CO2

6 kg

Route

Floridian

Door-to-Door Timeline

Frostburg, MD → Cumberland Amtrak Station 14m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 268m

Arrival 10m

Alexandria → Fort Washington, MD 11m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $22) $22

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

Stations

From Cumberland Amtrak Station 9 mi, ~14m drive

To Alexandria 7 mi, ~11m 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

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Train
Door-to-door time	2h 47m	3h 39m	5h 33m
Total cost (1 person)	$72	$125	$22
Carbon footprint	67 kg CO₂	31 kg CO₂	6 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 — 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 Frostburg, MD to Fort Washington, MD with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.