Drive or Fly: Oakland, CA to Antioch, 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 OAK–CCR. At 36 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

44m

Distance

36.6 mi

Total Cost

$43

CO2

15 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$8
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 34m

3m in the air

Air Distance

29 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

7 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Oakland, CA → OAK 10m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 3m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
CCR → Antioch, CA 21m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

Oakland, CA OAK — San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive
Antioch, CA CCR — Buchanan Field 14 mi, ~21m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between OAK and CCR. 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

2h 5m

48m on rail

Total Cost

$3

CO2

1 kg

Route

Capitol Corridor

Door-to-Door Timeline

Oakland, CA → Oakland 10m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 48m
Arrival 10m
Martinez → Antioch, CA 27m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $3) $3

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

Stations

From Oakland 1 mi, ~10m drive
To Martinez 18 mi, ~27m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~78/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
Amtrak delays can be unpredictable
Need transportation to/from station
Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

2h 29m

1h 23m on road

Total Cost

$4

CO2

2 kg

Route

Greyhound US0870

Door-to-Door Timeline

Oakland, CA → Oakland (West Oakland Bart Station) (OAK) 10m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 83m
Arrival 10m
Suisun City Bus Stop (SSC6) → Antioch, CA 31m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $4) $4

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

Stations

From OAK — Oakland (West Oakland Bart Station) 1 mi, ~10m drive
To SSC6 — Suisun City Bus Stop 21 mi, ~31m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~14/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
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 44m 2h 34m 2h 5m 2h 29m
Total cost (1 person) $43 $121 $3 $4
Carbon footprint 15 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 12, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Oakland, CA to Antioch, CA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.