Drive or Fly: Nevada City, CA to San Francisco, 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 TKF–SFO. At 147 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

2h 39m

Distance

147.2 mi

Total Cost

$68

CO2

59 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$33

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

3h 43m

15m in the air

Air Distance

128 mi

Total Cost

$125

CO2

33 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Nevada City, CA → TKF 71m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 15m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

SFO → San Francisco, CA 17m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $125) $125

Airports

Nevada City, CA TKF — Truckee Tahoe Airport 47 mi, ~71m drive

San Francisco, CA SFO — San Francisco International Airport 11 mi, ~17m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between TKF and SFO. 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

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly
Door-to-door time	2h 39m	3h 43m
Total cost (1 person)	$68	$125
Carbon footprint	59 kg CO₂	33 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

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 Nevada City, CA to San Francisco, CA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.