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Drive or Fly: McMinnville, OR to Astoria, OR?

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 SLE–OLM. At 99 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

2h 33m

Distance

99 mi

Total Cost

$57

CO2

40 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$22
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 28m

9m in the air

Air Distance

74 mi

Total Cost

$123

CO2

19 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

McMinnville, OR → SLE 34m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 9m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
OLM → Astoria, OR 105m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $123) $123

Airports

McMinnville, OR SLE — Salem-Willamette Valley Airport/McNary Field 23 mi, ~34m drive
Astoria, OR OLM — Olympia Regional Airport 70 mi, ~105m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between SLE and OLM. 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 52m

2h 35m on rail

Total Cost

$17

CO2

5 kg

Route

Amtrak Cascades

Door-to-Door Timeline

McMinnville, OR → Salem 31m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 155m
Arrival 10m
Kelso-Longview → Astoria, OR 66m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $17) $17

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

Stations

From Salem 21 mi, ~31m drive
To Kelso-Longview 44 mi, ~66m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~2/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 2 trips per week
Amtrak delays can be unpredictable
Need transportation to/from station
Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

3h 43m

1h on road

Total Cost

$5

CO2

3 kg

Route

FlixBus N2111

Door-to-Door Timeline

McMinnville, OR → Salem (Chemeketa & Liberty) (1SA) 30m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 60m
Arrival 10m
Portland Curbside Bus Stop (PUT6) → Astoria, OR 108m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $5) $5

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

Stations

From 1SA — Salem (Chemeketa & Liberty) 20 mi, ~30m drive
To PUT6 — Portland Curbside Bus Stop 72 mi, ~108m 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 33m 4h 28m 4h 52m 3h 43m
Total cost (1 person) $57 $123 $17 $5
Carbon footprint 40 kg CO2 19 kg CO2 5 kg CO2 3 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.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest
99 mi 2h 33m

via OR 47, OR 202, US 26

Alternative (+20 min)
112.5 mi 2h 54m

via US 26, OR 202, OR 219

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from McMinnville, OR to Astoria, OR with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.