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Drive or Fly: San Diego, CA to Los Angeles, 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–HHR. At 120 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

2h 26m

Distance

120.7 mi

Total Cost

$62

CO2

49 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$27
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 39m

13m in the air

Air Distance

111 mi

Total Cost

$124

CO2

28 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

San Diego, CA → SAN 10m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 13m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
HHR → Los Angeles, CA 16m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $124) $124

Airports

San Diego, CA SAN — San Diego International Airport 2 mi, ~10m drive
Los Angeles, CA HHR — Jack Northrop Field Hawthorne Municipal Airport 10 mi, ~16m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between SAN and HHR. 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

3h 56m

2h 56m on rail

Total Cost

$22

CO2

6 kg

Route

Pacific Surfliner

Door-to-Door Timeline

San Diego, CA → San Diego 10m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 176m
Arrival 10m
Los Angeles → Los Angeles, CA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $22) $22

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

Stations

From San Diego 0 mi, ~10m drive
To Los Angeles 0 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~37/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
− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable
− Need transportation to/from station
− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

4h 30m

3h 45m on road

Total Cost

$12

CO2

6 kg

Route

FlixBus 2017

Door-to-Door Timeline

San Diego, CA → San Diego (Downtown/Seaport Village) (USP) 10m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 225m
Arrival 10m
Los Angeles Union Station Arrivals (LUN6) → Los Angeles, CA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $12) $12

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

Stations

From USP — San Diego (Downtown/Seaport Village) 0 mi, ~10m drive
To LUN6 — Los Angeles Union Station Arrivals 0 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 2h 26m 2h 39m 3h 56m 4h 30m
Total cost (1 person) $62 $124 $22 $12
Carbon footprint 49 kg CO2 28 kg CO2 6 kg CO2 6 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 12, 2026.

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