Drive or Fly: Spanaway, WA to McKenna, WA?

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 TIW–OLM. At 15 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

27m

Distance

15.1 mi

Total Cost

$38

CO2

6 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$3

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 47m

2m in the air

Air Distance

13 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

3 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Spanaway, WA → TIW 20m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 2m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

OLM → McKenna, WA 25m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

Spanaway, WA TIW — Tacoma Narrows Airport 13 mi, ~20m drive

McKenna, WA OLM — Olympia Regional Airport 17 mi, ~25m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between TIW and OLM. 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 43m

31m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

1 kg

Route

Amtrak Cascades

Door-to-Door Timeline

Spanaway, WA → Tacoma 14m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 31m

Arrival 10m

Olympia-Lacey Amtrak Station → McKenna, WA 18m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $5) $5

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

Stations

From Tacoma 9 mi, ~14m drive

To Olympia-Lacey Amtrak Station 12 mi, ~18m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~6/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 6 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

1h 46m

40m on road

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

FlixBus 2120

Door-to-Door Timeline

Spanaway, WA → Tacoma (G St & Puyallup Ave) (1TA) 14m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 40m

Arrival 10m

Olympia (Intercity Transit Center) (1OL) → McKenna, WA 27m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $3) $3

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

Stations

From 1TA — Tacoma (G St & Puyallup Ave) 9 mi, ~14m drive

To 1OL — Olympia (Intercity Transit Center) 18 mi, ~27m 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	27m	2h 47m	1h 43m	1h 46m
Total cost (1 person)	$38	$121	$5	$3
Carbon footprint	6 kg CO₂	3 kg CO₂	1 kg CO₂	2 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 17, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

15.1 mi 27m

via WA 507

Alternative (+1 min)

17.3 mi 29m

via 8th Avenue South, WA 702

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Spanaway, WA to McKenna, WA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.