Drive or Fly: San Diego, CA to Clear Lake Riviera, 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 SAN–STS. At 584 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

11h 16m

Distance

584 mi

Total Cost

$309

CO2

236 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$129

Hotel (1 room, 1 night) $110

Meals (1 pax, 2 days) $70

+ No luggage restrictions or TSA lines

+ Stop anywhere along the route

+ Have your own car at the destination

− Requires 2 days of driving

− Driver fatigue on longer stretches

− Wear and tear on vehicle

− Fuel price fluctuations

Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

4h 1m

1h 4m in the air

Air Distance

531 mi

Total Cost

$196

CO2

136 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

San Diego, CA → SAN 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 64m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

STS → Clear Lake Riviera, CA 47m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $141) $141

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

San Diego, CA SAN — San Diego International Airport 2 mi, ~10m drive

Clear Lake Riviera, CA STS — Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport 31 mi, ~47m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between SAN and STS. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Saves about 7h 15m compared to driving

+ Less physical fatigue

+ Predictable arrival time

− Airport security and check-in overhead

− No scheduled commercial flights found for this route

− May need a rental car at destination

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly
Door-to-door time	11h 16m	4h 1m
Total cost (1 person)	$309	$196
Carbon footprint	236 kg CO₂	136 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

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.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from San Diego, CA to Clear Lake Riviera, CA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.