Drive or Fly: San Francisco, CA to Mesa Verde, 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 SFO–YUM. At 594 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

11h 1m

Distance

594.8 mi

Total Cost

$311

CO2

240 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$131

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 59m

1h 2m in the air

Air Distance

518 mi

Total Cost

$196

CO2

132 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

San Francisco, CA → SFO 17m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 62m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

YUM → Mesa Verde, CA 100m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $141) $141

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

San Francisco, CA SFO — San Francisco International Airport 11 mi, ~17m drive

Mesa Verde, CA YUM — Yuma International Airport / Marine Corps Air Station Yuma 66 mi, ~100m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between SFO and YUM. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Saves about 6h 2m 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 1m	4h 59m
Total cost (1 person)	$311	$196
Carbon footprint	240 kg CO₂	132 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 17, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from San Francisco, CA to Mesa Verde, CA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.