Drive or Fly: Long Beach, CA to North Hills, 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 43 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

54m

Distance

43.1 mi

Total Cost

$45

CO2

17 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 25m

4m in the air

Air Distance

37 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

9 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Long Beach, CA → LGB 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 4m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

BUR → North Hills, CA 11m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

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

North Hills, CA BUR — Hollywood Burbank/Bob Hope Airport 8 mi, ~11m 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

2h 39m

1h 24m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

Pacific Surfliner

Door-to-Door Timeline

Long Beach, CA → Fullerton Amtrak Station 25m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 84m

Arrival 10m

Van Nuys → North Hills, CA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $8) $8

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

Stations

From Fullerton Amtrak Station 17 mi, ~25m drive

To Van Nuys 3 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~21/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

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

3h 5m

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) → North Hills, CA 10m

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) 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	54m	2h 25m	2h 39m	3h 5m
Total cost (1 person)	$45	$121	$8	$4
Carbon footprint	17 kg CO₂	9 kg CO₂	2 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 17, 2026.

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