Drive or Fly: Sacramento, CA to Greenville, 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 SMF–TKF. At 145 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 12m

Distance

145.5 mi

Total Cost

$67

CO2

59 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$32

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

4h 14m

13m in the air

Air Distance

111 mi

Total Cost

$124

CO2

28 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Sacramento, CA → SMF 14m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 13m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

TKF → Greenville, CA 107m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $124) $124

Airports

Sacramento, CA SMF — Sacramento International Airport 9 mi, ~14m drive

Greenville, CA TKF — Truckee Tahoe Airport 71 mi, ~107m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between SMF and TKF. 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

4h 6m

1h 55m on rail

Total Cost

$13

CO2

4 kg

Route

Amtrak Thruway Connecting Service

Door-to-Door Timeline

Sacramento, CA → Sacramento Amtrak Bus Stop 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 115m

Arrival 10m

Oroville Amtrak Bus Stop → Greenville, CA 81m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $13) $13

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

Stations

From Sacramento Amtrak Bus Stop 0 mi, ~10m drive

To Oroville Amtrak Bus Stop 54 mi, ~81m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~3/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 3 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

3h 58m

2h on road

Total Cost

CO2

5 kg

Route

FlixBus N2111

Door-to-Door Timeline

Sacramento, CA → Sacramento (Old Sacramento 2nd St/J St) (0SI) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 120m

Arrival 10m

Chico Bus Station (CHO6) → Greenville, CA 83m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $9) $9

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

Stations

From 0SI — Sacramento (Old Sacramento 2nd St/J St) 1 mi, ~10m drive

To CHO6 — Chico Bus Station 55 mi, ~83m 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	3h 12m	4h 14m	4h 6m	3h 58m
Total cost (1 person)	$67	$124	$13	$9
Carbon footprint	59 kg CO₂	28 kg CO₂	4 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: 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 17, 2026.

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