Drive or Fly: Oakland, CA to Cudahy, 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–HHR. At 381 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

7h 6m

Distance

381.5 mi

Total Cost

$120

CO2

154 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$85
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 6m

42m in the air

Air Distance

350 mi

Total Cost

$189

CO2

89 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Oakland, CA → OAK 10m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 42m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
HHR → Cudahy, CA 14m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $134) $134
Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Oakland, CA OAK — San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive
Cudahy, CA HHR — Jack Northrop Field Hawthorne Municipal Airport 9 mi, ~14m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between OAK and HHR. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Saves about 4h compared to driving
+ Less physical fatigue
+ Predictable arrival time
Airport security and check-in overhead
No scheduled commercial flights found for this route
May need a rental car at destination
Luggage fees and restrictions
Less flexibility for stops along the way

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

13h 3m

12h 2m on rail

Total Cost

$69

CO2

20 kg

Route

Coast Starlight

Door-to-Door Timeline

Oakland, CA → Oakland 10m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 722m
Arrival 10m
Los Angeles → Cudahy, CA 11m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $69) $69

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

Stations

From Oakland 1 mi, ~10m drive
To Los Angeles 7 mi, ~11m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~1/week

+ Spacious seating with legroom and power outlets
+ Walk around freely during the trip
+ Scenic views along the route
+ 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

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

10h 10m

9h 25m on road

Total Cost

$38

CO2

20 kg

Route

Greyhound US0831

Door-to-Door Timeline

Oakland, CA → Oakland (West Oakland Bart Station) (OAK) 10m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 565m
Arrival 10m
Huntington Park (UHP) → Cudahy, CA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $38) $38

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

Stations

From OAK — Oakland (West Oakland Bart Station) 1 mi, ~10m drive
To UHP — Huntington Park 3 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 7h 6m 3h 6m 13h 3m 10h 10m
Total cost (1 person) $120 $189 $69 $38
Carbon footprint 154 kg CO2 89 kg CO2 20 kg CO2 20 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 Cudahy, CA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.