Drive or Fly: Purrington, WA to Albion, 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 PUW–PUW. At 50 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

1h 24m

Distance

50.3 mi

Total Cost

$46

CO2

20 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$11

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 1m

3m in the air

Air Distance

26 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

7 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Purrington, WA → PUW 47m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 3m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

PUW → Albion, WA 11m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

Purrington, WA PUW — Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport 32 mi, ~47m drive

Albion, WA PUW — Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport 7 mi, ~11m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between PUW and PUW. 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

7h 5m

3h 11m on rail

Total Cost

$25

CO2

7 kg

Route

Empire Builder

Door-to-Door Timeline

Purrington, WA → Pasco Amtrak Station 104m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 191m

Arrival 10m

Spokane → Albion, WA 90m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $25) $25

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

Stations

From Pasco Amtrak Station 69 mi, ~104m drive

To Spokane 60 mi, ~90m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~2/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 2 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	1h 24m	3h 1m	7h 5m
Total cost (1 person)	$46	$121	$25
Carbon footprint	20 kg CO₂	7 kg CO₂	7 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 Purrington, WA to Albion, WA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.