Drive or Fly: Long Beach, CA to Green Valley, 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 LGB–BUR. At 78 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

1h 47m

Distance

78.1 mi

Total Cost

$52

CO2

32 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$17

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 1m

7m in the air

Air Distance

60 mi

Total Cost

$122

CO2

15 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Long Beach, CA → LGB 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 7m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

BUR → Green Valley, CA 44m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $122) $122

Airports

Long Beach, CA LGB — Long Beach International Airport 4 mi, ~10m drive

Green Valley, CA BUR — Hollywood Burbank/Bob Hope Airport 29 mi, ~44m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between LGB and BUR. 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

3h 22m

1h 50m on rail

Total Cost

$10

CO2

3 kg

Route

Amtrak Thruway Connecting Service

Door-to-Door Timeline

Long Beach, CA → Fullerton Amtrak Station 25m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 110m

Arrival 10m

Santa Clarita-Newhall Amtrak Station → Green Valley, CA 27m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $10) $10

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

Stations

From Fullerton Amtrak Station 17 mi, ~25m drive

To Santa Clarita-Newhall Amtrak Station 18 mi, ~27m 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

3h 30m

2h 20m on road

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

FlixBus 2006

Door-to-Door Timeline

Long Beach, CA → Long Beach Downtown Transit Gallery (ULB) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 140m

Arrival 10m

Los Angeles (Laurel Canyon/Rinaldi - San Fernando) (0RN) → Green Valley, CA 35m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $4) $4

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

Stations

From ULB — Long Beach Downtown Transit Gallery 0 mi, ~10m drive

To 0RN — Los Angeles (Laurel Canyon/Rinaldi - San Fernando) 24 mi, ~35m 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 47m	3h 1m	3h 22m	3h 30m
Total cost (1 person)	$52	$122	$10	$4
Carbon footprint	32 kg CO₂	15 kg CO₂	3 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 16, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

78.1 mi 1h 46m

via I 405, San Francisquito Canyon Road, I 5 Truck

Alternative (+1 min)

78.3 mi 1h 47m

via I 5, I 710, San Francisquito Canyon Road

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