Drive or Fly: Santa Rosa, CA to San Francisco, 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 STS–SFO. At 54 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

1h 14m

Distance

54.7 mi

Total Cost

$47

CO2

22 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$12

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 34m

6m in the air

Air Distance

49 mi

Total Cost

$122

CO2

12 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Santa Rosa, CA → STS 11m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 6m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

SFO → San Francisco, CA 17m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $122) $122

Airports

Santa Rosa, CA STS — Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport 7 mi, ~11m drive

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

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between STS and SFO. 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

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly
Door-to-door time	1h 14m	2h 34m
Total cost (1 person)	$47	$122
Carbon footprint	22 kg CO₂	12 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 13, 2026.

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