Drive or Fly: Lindsay, CA to Los Angeles, 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–HHR. At 169 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

3h 20m

Distance

169.7 mi

Total Cost

$73

CO2

69 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$38

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 54m

19m in the air

Air Distance

156 mi

Total Cost

$126

CO2

40 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lindsay, CA → FAT 79m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 19m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

HHR → Los Angeles, CA 16m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $126) $126

Airports

Lindsay, CA FAT — Fresno Yosemite International Airport 53 mi, ~79m drive

Los Angeles, CA HHR — Jack Northrop Field Hawthorne Municipal Airport 10 mi, ~16m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between FAT and HHR. 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 34m

3h 55m on rail

Total Cost

$35

CO2

10 kg

Route

Amtrak Thruway Connecting Service

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lindsay, CA → Hanford 49m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 235m

Arrival 10m

Los Angeles → Los Angeles, CA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $35) $35

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

Stations

From Hanford 33 mi, ~49m drive

To Los Angeles 0 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

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Train
Door-to-door time	3h 20m	3h 54m	5h 34m
Total cost (1 person)	$73	$126	$35
Carbon footprint	69 kg CO₂	40 kg CO₂	10 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 Lindsay, CA to Los Angeles, CA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.