Drive or Fly: Sunnyside, WA to Spokane Valley, 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 YKM–GEG. At 193 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 35m

Distance

193 mi

Total Cost

$78

CO2

78 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$43

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

3h 26m

19m in the air

Air Distance

160 mi

Total Cost

$126

CO2

41 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Sunnyside, WA → YKM 46m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 19m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

GEG → Spokane Valley, WA 21m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $126) $126

Airports

Sunnyside, WA YKM — Yakima Air Terminal McAllister Field 31 mi, ~46m drive

Spokane Valley, WA GEG — Spokane International Airport 14 mi, ~21m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between YKM and GEG. 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

5h 10m

3h 11m on rail

Total Cost

$25

CO2

7 kg

Route

Empire Builder

Door-to-Door Timeline

Sunnyside, WA → Pasco Amtrak Station 67m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 191m

Arrival 10m

Spokane → Spokane Valley, WA 12m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $25) $25

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

Stations

From Pasco Amtrak Station 44 mi, ~67m drive

To Spokane 8 mi, ~12m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~2/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 2 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Train
Door-to-door time	3h 35m	3h 26m	5h 10m
Total cost (1 person)	$78	$126	$25
Carbon footprint	78 kg CO₂	41 kg CO₂	7 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 — 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 15, 2026.

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