Drive or Fly: Riverside, CA to Cherry Valley, 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 SBD–SBD. At 31 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

41m

Distance

31.6 mi

Total Cost

$42

CO2

13 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$7

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 49m

3m in the air

Air Distance

24 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

6 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Riverside, CA → SBD 20m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 3m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

SBD → Cherry Valley, CA 26m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

Riverside, CA SBD — San Bernardino International Airport 14 mi, ~20m drive

Cherry Valley, CA SBD — San Bernardino International Airport 17 mi, ~26m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between SBD and SBD. 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

1h 46m

40m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

Amtrak Thruway Connecting Service

Door-to-Door Timeline

Riverside, CA → Riverside 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 40m

Arrival 10m

Cabazon Amtrak Bus Stop → Cherry Valley, CA 16m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $7) $7

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

Stations

From Riverside 2 mi, ~10m drive

To Cabazon Amtrak Bus Stop 11 mi, ~16m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~10/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 10 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

1h 20m

35m on road

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

FlixBus 2055

Door-to-Door Timeline

Riverside, CA → Riverside (Parking Lot 30 - University of California, Riverside) (UCR) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 35m

Arrival 10m

Banning Bus Stop (BNG6) → Cherry Valley, CA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $3) $3

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

Stations

From UCR — Riverside (Parking Lot 30 - University of California, Riverside) 4 mi, ~10m drive

To BNG6 — Banning Bus Stop 6 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~6/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 6 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	41m	2h 49m	1h 46m	1h 20m
Total cost (1 person)	$42	$121	$7	$3
Carbon footprint	13 kg CO₂	6 kg CO₂	2 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 18, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

31.6 mi 40m

via I 10, CA 91, Cherry Valley Boulevard

Shortest (+1 min)

31.1 mi 42m

via CA 60, I 215; CA 60, CA 79

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