Drive or Fly: Santa Monica, CA to Torrance, 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 LAX–HHR. At 20 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

27m

Distance

20.5 mi

Total Cost

$40

CO2

8 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$5

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 23m

2m in the air

Air Distance

15 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

4 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Santa Monica, CA → LAX 11m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 2m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

HHR → Torrance, CA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

Santa Monica, CA LAX — Los Angeles International Airport 7 mi, ~11m drive

Torrance, CA HHR — Jack Northrop Field Hawthorne Municipal Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between LAX 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

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

2h 24m

1h 35m on road

Total Cost

CO2

1 kg

Route

FlixBus 2017

Door-to-Door Timeline

Santa Monica, CA → Los Angeles (UCLA) (UCL) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 95m

Arrival 10m

Long Beach Bus Station (LBH6) → Torrance, CA 14m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $3) $3

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

Stations

From UCL — Los Angeles (UCLA) 4 mi, ~10m drive

To LBH6 — Long Beach Bus Station 9 mi, ~14m 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	Bus
Door-to-door time	27m	2h 23m	2h 24m
Total cost (1 person)	$40	$121	$3
Carbon footprint	8 kg CO₂	4 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: 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 Monica, CA to Torrance, CA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.