Drive or Fly: Sacramento, CA to Olivehurst, 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–SMF. At 38 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

46m

Distance

38 mi

Total Cost

$43

CO2

15 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$8

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

4m in the air

Air Distance

36 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

9 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Sacramento, CA → SMF 14m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 4m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

SMF → Olivehurst, CA 42m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

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

Olivehurst, CA SMF — Sacramento International Airport 28 mi, ~42m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between SMF and SMF. 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

2h 20m

1h 20m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

Amtrak Thruway Connecting Service

Door-to-Door Timeline

Sacramento, CA → Sacramento Amtrak Bus Stop 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 80m

Arrival 10m

Marysville Amtrak Station → Olivehurst, CA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $8) $8

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

Stations

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

To Marysville Amtrak Station 4 mi, ~10m 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

1h 50m

1h 5m on road

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

FlixBus N2111

Door-to-Door Timeline

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

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 65m

Arrival 10m

Marysville (1MV) → Olivehurst, CA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $4) $4

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 1MV — Marysville 4 mi, ~10m 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	46m	3h	2h 20m	1h 50m
Total cost (1 person)	$43	$121	$8	$4
Carbon footprint	15 kg CO₂	9 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 16, 2026.

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