Drive or Fly: Medical Lake, WA to Yakima, 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 GEG–YKM. At 192 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 36m

Distance

192.6 mi

Total Cost

$78

CO2

78 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$43

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 39m

18m in the air

Air Distance

149 mi

Total Cost

$126

CO2

38 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Medical Lake, WA → GEG 11m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 18m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

YKM → Yakima, WA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $126) $126

Airports

Medical Lake, WA GEG — Spokane International Airport 8 mi, ~11m drive

Yakima, WA YKM — Yakima Air Terminal McAllister Field 3 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between GEG and YKM. 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

5h 43m

3h 16m on rail

Total Cost

$27

CO2

8 kg

Route

Empire Builder

Door-to-Door Timeline

Medical Lake, WA → Spokane 21m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 196m

Arrival 10m

Wenatchee Amtrak → Yakima, WA 86m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $27) $27

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

Stations

From Spokane 14 mi, ~21m drive

To Wenatchee Amtrak 57 mi, ~86m 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

4h 28m

3h on road

Total Cost

$17

CO2

9 kg

Route

FlixBus 2120

Door-to-Door Timeline

Medical Lake, WA → Spokane Station (SPO6) 21m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 180m

Arrival 10m

Ellensburg (Central Washington University) (1CW) → Yakima, WA 42m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $17) $17

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

Stations

From SPO6 — Spokane Station 14 mi, ~21m drive

To 1CW — Ellensburg (Central Washington University) 28 mi, ~42m 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 36m	2h 39m	5h 43m	4h 28m
Total cost (1 person)	$78	$126	$27	$17
Carbon footprint	78 kg CO₂	38 kg CO₂	8 kg CO₂	9 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 15, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Medical Lake, WA to Yakima, WA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.