Drive or Fly: Tacoma, WA to Chehalis, 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 58 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

1h 13m

Distance

58.3 mi

Total Cost

$48

CO2

24 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$13

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 48m

6m in the air

Air Distance

48 mi

Total Cost

$122

CO2

12 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Tacoma, WA → TIW 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 6m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

OLM → Chehalis, WA 32m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $122) $122

Airports

Tacoma, WA TIW — Tacoma Narrows Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive

Chehalis, WA OLM — Olympia Regional Airport 21 mi, ~32m 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 51m

51m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

3 kg

Route

Amtrak Cascades

Door-to-Door Timeline

Tacoma, WA → Tacoma 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 51m

Arrival 10m

Centralia Amtrak Station → Chehalis, WA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $9) $9

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

Stations

From Tacoma 1 mi, ~10m drive

To Centralia Amtrak Station 4 mi, ~10m 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 55m

40m on road

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

FlixBus 2120

Door-to-Door Timeline

Tacoma, WA → Tacoma (G St & Puyallup Ave) (1TA) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 40m

Arrival 10m

Olympia (Intercity Transit Center) (1OL) → Chehalis, WA 40m

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) 1 mi, ~10m drive

To 1OL — Olympia (Intercity Transit Center) 27 mi, ~40m 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	1h 13m	2h 48m	1h 51m	1h 55m
Total cost (1 person)	$48	$122	$9	$3
Carbon footprint	24 kg CO₂	12 kg CO₂	3 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.

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