Drive or Fly: Oak Harbor, WA to Tacoma, 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–TIW. At 100 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

2h 42m

Distance

100.8 mi

Total Cost

$57

CO2

41 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

2h 55m

9m in the air

Air Distance

72 mi

Total Cost

$123

CO2

18 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Oak Harbor, WA → FRD 36m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 9m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

TIW → Tacoma, WA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $123) $123

Airports

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

Tacoma, WA TIW — Tacoma Narrows Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between FRD and TIW. 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 9m

2h 58m on rail

Total Cost

$14

CO2

4 kg

Route

Amtrak Cascades

Door-to-Door Timeline

Oak Harbor, WA → Stanwood Amtrak 21m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 178m

Arrival 10m

Tacoma → Tacoma, WA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $14) $14

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

Stations

From Stanwood Amtrak 14 mi, ~21m drive

To Tacoma 1 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~1/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 1 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Train
Door-to-door time	2h 42m	2h 55m	4h 9m
Total cost (1 person)	$57	$123	$14
Carbon footprint	41 kg CO₂	18 kg CO₂	4 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 — 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 Tacoma, WA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.