Drive or Fly: South San Francisco, CA to Fontana, 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–ONT. At 422 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

Distance

422.6 mi

Total Cost

$128

CO2

171 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$93

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 10m

45m in the air

Air Distance

372 mi

Total Cost

$190

CO2

95 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

South San Francisco, CA → SFO 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 45m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

ONT → Fontana, CA 15m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $135) $135

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

South San Francisco, CA SFO — San Francisco International Airport 3 mi, ~10m drive

Fontana, CA ONT — Ontario International Airport 10 mi, ~15m drive

No scheduled flights found

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

+ Saves about 4h 50m 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	8h	3h 10m
Total cost (1 person)	$128	$190
Carbon footprint	171 kg CO₂	95 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.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

422.6 mi 7h 59m

via I 5, US 101, I 5 Truck

Alternative (+27 min)

428.9 mi 8h 27m

via I 5, CA 138, US 101

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