Drive or Fly: Long Beach, WA to Federal Way, 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 OLM–SEA. At 150 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

3h 30m

Distance

150.5 mi

Total Cost

$68

CO2

61 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$33

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

4h 10m

13m in the air

Air Distance

106 mi

Total Cost

$124

CO2

27 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Long Beach, WA → OLM 104m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 13m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

SEA → Federal Way, WA 13m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $124) $124

Airports

Long Beach, WA OLM — Olympia Regional Airport 69 mi, ~104m drive

Federal Way, WA SEA — Seattle–Tacoma International Airport 9 mi, ~13m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between OLM and SEA. 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 58m

1h 41m on rail

Total Cost

$16

CO2

5 kg

Route

Amtrak Cascades

Door-to-Door Timeline

Long Beach, WA → Kelso-Longview 85m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 101m

Arrival 10m

Tacoma → Federal Way, WA 12m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $16) $16

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

Stations

From Kelso-Longview 56 mi, ~85m drive

To Tacoma 8 mi, ~12m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~6/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 6 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

3h 6m

40m on road

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

FlixBus N2111

Door-to-Door Timeline

Long Beach, WA → Olympia (Intercity Transit Center) (1OL) 109m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 40m

Arrival 10m

Tacoma (G St & Puyallup Ave) (1TA) → Federal Way, WA 12m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $3) $3

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

Stations

From 1OL — Olympia (Intercity Transit Center) 73 mi, ~109m drive

To 1TA — Tacoma (G St & Puyallup Ave) 8 mi, ~12m 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	3h 30m	4h 10m	3h 58m	3h 6m
Total cost (1 person)	$68	$124	$16	$3
Carbon footprint	61 kg CO₂	27 kg CO₂	5 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 Long Beach, WA to Federal Way, WA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.