Drive or Fly: Prairie Ridge, WA to Yakima, 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 TIW–YKM. At 121 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 5m

Distance

121.7 mi

Total Cost

$62

CO2

49 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$27

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 53m

10m in the air

Air Distance

86 mi

Total Cost

$123

CO2

22 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Prairie Ridge, WA → TIW 33m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 10m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

YKM → Yakima, WA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $123) $123

Airports

Prairie Ridge, WA TIW — Tacoma Narrows Airport 22 mi, ~33m drive

Yakima, WA YKM — Yakima Air Terminal McAllister Field 3 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between TIW and YKM. 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

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

4h 49m

3h 20m on road

Total Cost

$10

CO2

5 kg

Route

FlixBus 2120

Door-to-Door Timeline

Prairie Ridge, WA → Tacoma (G St & Puyallup Ave) (1TA) 22m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 200m

Arrival 10m

Ellensburg (Central Washington University) (1CW) → Yakima, WA 42m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $10) $10

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

Stations

From 1TA — Tacoma (G St & Puyallup Ave) 15 mi, ~22m drive

To 1CW — Ellensburg (Central Washington University) 28 mi, ~42m 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	Bus
Door-to-door time	3h 5m	2h 53m	4h 49m
Total cost (1 person)	$62	$123	$10
Carbon footprint	49 kg CO₂	22 kg CO₂	5 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: 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 18, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

121.7 mi 3h 4m

via WA 410, US 12

Alternative (+6 min)

158.9 mi 3h 10m

via I 90, US 97, WA 18

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Prairie Ridge, WA to Yakima, WA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.