Drive or Fly: Old Orchard Beach, ME to City of Portland, ME?

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 PWM–PWM. At 23 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

4h 32m

Distance

23.2 mi

Total Cost

$40

CO2

9 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$5

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 27m

2m in the air

Air Distance

14 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

4 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Old Orchard Beach, ME → PWM 14m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 2m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

PWM → City of Portland, ME 11m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

Old Orchard Beach, ME PWM — Portland International Jetport 10 mi, ~14m drive

City of Portland, ME PWM — Portland International Jetport 7 mi, ~11m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between PWM and PWM. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Saves about 2h 5m compared to driving

+ 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 19m

19m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

1 kg

Route

Downeaster

Door-to-Door Timeline

Old Orchard Beach, ME → Old Orchard Beach Amtrak 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 19m

Arrival 10m

Portland → City of Portland, ME 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $2) $2

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

Stations

From Old Orchard Beach Amtrak 0 mi, ~10m drive

To Portland 6 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~48/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

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Train
Door-to-door time	4h 32m	2h 27m	1h 19m
Total cost (1 person)	$40	$121	$2
Carbon footprint	9 kg CO₂	4 kg CO₂	1 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 13, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Old Orchard Beach, ME to City of Portland, ME with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.