Drive or Fly: Gold Beach, OR to Portland, 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 CEC–PDX. At 291 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

6h 46m

Distance

291.8 mi

Total Cost

$100

CO2

118 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$65

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 45m

28m in the air

Air Distance

232 mi

Total Cost

$184

CO2

59 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Gold Beach, OR → CEC 67m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 28m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

PDX → Portland, OR 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $129) $129

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Gold Beach, OR CEC — Jack Mc Namara Field Airport 44 mi, ~67m drive

Portland, OR PDX — Portland International Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between CEC and PDX. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Saves about 3h 1m compared to driving

+ Less physical fatigue

+ Predictable arrival time

− Airport security and check-in overhead

− No scheduled commercial flights found for this route

− May need a rental car at destination

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

6h 9m

4h 10m on road

Total Cost

$24

CO2

13 kg

Route

Greyhound US0500

Door-to-Door Timeline

Gold Beach, OR → Grants Pass (A-1 Market) (GSP6) 84m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 250m

Arrival 10m

Portland Curbside Bus Stop (PUT6) → Portland, OR 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $24) $24

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

Stations

From GSP6 — Grants Pass (A-1 Market) 56 mi, ~84m drive

To PUT6 — Portland Curbside Bus Stop 0 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	Bus
Door-to-door time	6h 46m	3h 45m	6h 9m
Total cost (1 person)	$100	$184	$24
Carbon footprint	118 kg CO₂	59 kg CO₂	13 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 13, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Gold Beach, OR to Portland, OR with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.