Drive or Fly: San Diego, CA to Menlo Park, 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–SQL. At 479 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

9h 11m

Distance

479.5 mi

Total Cost

$141

CO2

194 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$106

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

− Driver fatigue on longer stretches

− Wear and tear on vehicle

− Fuel price fluctuations

Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

3h 12m

52m in the air

Air Distance

433 mi

Total Cost

$192

CO2

110 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

San Diego, CA → SAN 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 52m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

SQL → Menlo Park, CA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $137) $137

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

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

Menlo Park, CA SQL — San Carlos Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

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

+ Saves about 5h 59m 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	9h 11m	3h 12m
Total cost (1 person)	$141	$192
Carbon footprint	194 kg CO₂	110 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 16, 2026.

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