Drive or Fly: Imperial Beach, CA to Riverside, 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 SAN–SBD. At 107 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

2h 9m

Distance

107.9 mi

Total Cost

$59

CO2

44 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$24

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 49m

12m in the air

Air Distance

96 mi

Total Cost

$124

CO2

24 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Imperial Beach, CA → SAN 17m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 12m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

SBD → Riverside, CA 20m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $124) $124

Airports

Imperial Beach, CA SAN — San Diego International Airport 11 mi, ~17m drive

Riverside, CA SBD — San Bernardino International Airport 14 mi, ~20m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between SAN and SBD. 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

3h 50m

3h 5m on road

Total Cost

$11

CO2

6 kg

Route

FlixBus 2015

Door-to-Door Timeline

Imperial Beach, CA → San Ysidro Bus Terminal (POE6) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 185m

Arrival 10m

Riverside (Parking Lot 30 - University of California, Riverside) (UCR) → Riverside, CA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $11) $11

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

Stations

From POE6 — San Ysidro Bus Terminal 6 mi, ~10m drive

To UCR — Riverside (Parking Lot 30 - University of California, Riverside) 4 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	2h 9m	2h 49m	3h 50m
Total cost (1 person)	$59	$124	$11
Carbon footprint	44 kg CO₂	24 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: 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 17, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

107.9 mi 2h 8m

via I 15, I 215, CA 15

Alternative (+4 min)

116.2 mi 2h 13m

via I 15, CA 15, CA 91

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