Drive or Fly: Los Angeles, CA to National City, 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 HHR–SAN. At 124 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

2h 31m

Distance

124.9 mi

Total Cost

$63

CO2

50 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$28

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 40m

14m in the air

Air Distance

116 mi

Total Cost

$125

CO2

29 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Los Angeles, CA → HHR 16m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 14m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

SAN → National City, CA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $125) $125

Airports

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

National City, CA SAN — San Diego International Airport 7 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between HHR and SAN. 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 56m

2h 56m on rail

Total Cost

$22

CO2

6 kg

Route

Pacific Surfliner

Door-to-Door Timeline

Los Angeles, CA → Los Angeles 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 176m

Arrival 10m

San Diego → National City, CA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $22) $22

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

Stations

From Los Angeles 0 mi, ~10m drive

To San Diego 5 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~40/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

4h 30m

3h 45m on road

Total Cost

$12

CO2

6 kg

Route

FlixBus 2017

Door-to-Door Timeline

Los Angeles, CA → Los Angeles Union Station Arrivals (LUN6) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 225m

Arrival 10m

San Diego (Downtown/Seaport Village) (USP) → National City, CA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $12) $12

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

Stations

From LUN6 — Los Angeles Union Station Arrivals 0 mi, ~10m drive

To USP — San Diego (Downtown/Seaport Village) 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	2h 31m	2h 40m	3h 56m	4h 30m
Total cost (1 person)	$63	$125	$22	$12
Carbon footprint	50 kg CO₂	29 kg CO₂	6 kg CO₂	6 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 12, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Los Angeles, CA to National City, CA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.