Drive or Fly: Oak Harbor, WA to Marysville, 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 FRD–PAE. At 56 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

1h 20m

Distance

56 mi

Total Cost

$47

CO2

23 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$12

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 56m

3m in the air

Air Distance

27 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

7 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Oak Harbor, WA → FRD 36m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 3m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

PAE → Marysville, WA 17m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

Oak Harbor, WA FRD — Friday Harbor Airport 24 mi, ~36m drive

Marysville, WA PAE — Seattle Paine Field International Airport 11 mi, ~17m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between FRD and PAE. 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 48m

37m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

1 kg

Route

Amtrak Cascades

Door-to-Door Timeline

Oak Harbor, WA → Stanwood Amtrak 21m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 37m

Arrival 10m

Everett Amtrak Station → Marysville, WA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $4) $4

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

Stations

From Stanwood Amtrak 14 mi, ~21m drive

To Everett Amtrak Station 5 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~3/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 3 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

1h 40m

40m on road

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

Greyhound US0501

Door-to-Door Timeline

Oak Harbor, WA → Mount Vernon Bus Stop (MEV6) 25m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 40m

Arrival 10m

Everett Bus Stop (EVR6) → Marysville, WA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $3) $3

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

Stations

From MEV6 — Mount Vernon Bus Stop 17 mi, ~25m drive

To EVR6 — Everett Bus Stop 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	1h 20m	2h 56m	1h 48m	1h 40m
Total cost (1 person)	$47	$121	$4	$3
Carbon footprint	23 kg CO₂	7 kg CO₂	1 kg CO₂	2 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 Oak Harbor, WA to Marysville, WA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.