Drive or Fly: Santa Maria, 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 BUR–HHR. At 27 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

42m

Distance

27.8 mi

Total Cost

$41

CO2

11 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$6

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 38m

2m in the air

Air Distance

20 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

5 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Santa Maria, CA → BUR 20m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 2m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

HHR → Los Angeles, CA 16m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

Santa Maria, CA BUR — Hollywood Burbank/Bob Hope Airport 13 mi, ~20m drive

Los Angeles, CA HHR — Jack Northrop Field Hawthorne Municipal Airport 10 mi, ~16m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between BUR 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

1h 51m

50m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

1 kg

Route

Pacific Surfliner

Door-to-Door Timeline

Santa Maria, CA → Northridge 11m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 50m

Arrival 10m

Los Angeles → Los Angeles, CA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $4) $4

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

Stations

From Northridge 7 mi, ~11m drive

To Los Angeles 0 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~10/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 10 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

1h 33m

45m on road

Total Cost

CO2

1 kg

Route

FlixBus N2030

Door-to-Door Timeline

Santa Maria, CA → Los Angeles (UCLA) (UCL) 13m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 45m

Arrival 10m

Los Angeles Union Station Arrivals (LUN6) → Los Angeles, CA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $1) $1

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

Stations

From UCL — Los Angeles (UCLA) 8 mi, ~13m 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	42m	2h 38m	1h 51m	1h 33m
Total cost (1 person)	$41	$121	$4	$1
Carbon footprint	11 kg CO₂	5 kg CO₂	1 kg CO₂	1 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 13, 2026.

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