Drive or Fly: Long Beach, WA to Renton, 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–BFI. At 163 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

3h 46m

Distance

163.3 mi

Total Cost

$71

CO2

66 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$36

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 8m

14m in the air

Air Distance

117 mi

Total Cost

$125

CO2

30 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Long Beach, WA → OLM 104m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 14m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

BFI → Renton, WA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $125) $125

Airports

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

Renton, WA BFI — King County International Airport - Boeing Field 5 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between OLM and BFI. 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

4h 26m

2h 11m on rail

Total Cost

$19

CO2

6 kg

Route

Amtrak Cascades

Door-to-Door Timeline

Long Beach, WA → Kelso-Longview 85m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 131m

Arrival 10m

Tukwila Amtrak → Renton, WA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $19) $19

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

Stations

From Kelso-Longview 56 mi, ~85m drive

To Tukwila Amtrak 2 mi, ~10m 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 39m

1h 15m on road

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

FlixBus 2120

Door-to-Door Timeline

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

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 75m

Arrival 10m

Seattle Tacoma Intl Airport (SAP6) → Renton, WA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $4) $4

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

Stations

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

To SAP6 — Seattle Tacoma Intl Airport 5 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	3h 46m	4h 8m	4h 26m	3h 39m
Total cost (1 person)	$71	$125	$19	$4
Carbon footprint	66 kg CO₂	30 kg CO₂	6 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 Renton, WA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.