Drive or Fly: Kirkland, WA to Fircrest, WA?

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 BFI–TIW. At 44 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

1h 1m

Distance

44.6 mi

Total Cost

$45

CO2

18 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$10

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 31m

4m in the air

Air Distance

34 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

9 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Kirkland, WA → BFI 17m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 4m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

TIW → Fircrest, WA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

Kirkland, WA BFI — King County International Airport - Boeing Field 12 mi, ~17m drive

Fircrest, WA TIW — Tacoma Narrows Airport 4 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between BFI and TIW. 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

1h 45m

43m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

1 kg

Route

Coast Starlight

Door-to-Door Timeline

Kirkland, WA → Seattle 12m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 43m

Arrival 10m

Tacoma → Fircrest, WA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $5) $5

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

Stations

From Seattle 8 mi, ~12m drive

To Tacoma 4 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~1/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 1 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

2h 25m

1h 40m on road

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

FlixBus 2110

Door-to-Door Timeline

Kirkland, WA → Seattle (University of Washington) (1UW) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 100m

Arrival 10m

Tacoma (G St & Puyallup Ave) (1TA) → Fircrest, WA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $3) $3

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

Stations

From 1UW — Seattle (University of Washington) 5 mi, ~10m drive

To 1TA — Tacoma (G St & Puyallup Ave) 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	Train	Bus
Door-to-door time	1h 1m	2h 31m	1h 45m	2h 25m
Total cost (1 person)	$45	$121	$5	$3
Carbon footprint	18 kg CO₂	9 kg CO₂	1 kg CO₂	2 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, 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 Kirkland, WA to Fircrest, WA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.