Drive or Fly: Lynwood, CA to Long Beach, 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–LGB. At 14 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

21m

Distance

14.2 mi

Total Cost

$38

CO2

6 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$3
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 22m

1m in the air

Air Distance

11 mi

Total Cost

$120

CO2

3 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lynwood, CA → HHR 11m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 1m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
LGB → Long Beach, CA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $120) $120

Airports

Lynwood, CA HHR — Jack Northrop Field Hawthorne Municipal Airport 7 mi, ~11m drive
Long Beach, CA LGB — Long Beach International Airport 4 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between HHR and LGB. 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

1h 47m

29m on rail

Total Cost

$4

CO2

1 kg

Route

Pacific Surfliner

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lynwood, CA → Los Angeles 13m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 29m
Arrival 10m
Fullerton Amtrak Station → Long Beach, CA 25m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $4) $4

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

Stations

From Los Angeles 9 mi, ~13m drive
To Fullerton Amtrak Station 17 mi, ~25m 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

1h 20m

35m on road

Total Cost

$2

CO2

1 kg

Route

FlixBus 2006

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lynwood, CA → Huntington Park (UHP) 10m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 35m
Arrival 10m
Long Beach Downtown Transit Gallery (ULB) → Long Beach, CA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $2) $2

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

Stations

From UHP — Huntington Park 3 mi, ~10m drive
To ULB — Long Beach Downtown Transit Gallery 0 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 21m 2h 22m 1h 47m 1h 20m
Total cost (1 person) $38 $120 $4 $2
Carbon footprint 6 kg CO2 3 kg CO2 1 kg CO2 1 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 Lynwood, CA to Long Beach, CA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.