Drive or Fly: Taft, CA to Long Beach, 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 BFL–LGB. At 142 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

2h 55m

Distance

142.6 mi

Total Cost

$66

CO2

58 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$31

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 9m

14m in the air

Air Distance

119 mi

Total Cost

$125

CO2

30 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Taft, CA → BFL 45m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 14m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

LGB → Long Beach, CA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $125) $125

Airports

Taft, CA BFL — Meadows Field 30 mi, ~45m drive

Long Beach, CA LGB — Long Beach International Airport 4 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between BFL and LGB. 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

4h 50m

3h on rail

Total Cost

$24

CO2

7 kg

Route

Amtrak Thruway Connecting Service

Door-to-Door Timeline

Taft, CA → Bakersfield 45m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 180m

Arrival 10m

Fullerton Amtrak Station → Long Beach, CA 25m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $24) $24

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

Stations

From Bakersfield 30 mi, ~45m drive

To Fullerton Amtrak Station 17 mi, ~25m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~1/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 1 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

5h 4m

3h 50m on road

Total Cost

$13

CO2

7 kg

Route

FlixBus 2006

Door-to-Door Timeline

Taft, CA → Bakersfield (McKee Park & Ride) (UBV) 39m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 230m

Arrival 10m

Long Beach Downtown Transit Gallery (ULB) → Long Beach, CA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $13) $13

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

Stations

From UBV — Bakersfield (McKee Park & Ride) 26 mi, ~39m drive

To ULB — Long Beach Downtown Transit Gallery 0 mi, ~10m 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	2h 55m	3h 9m	4h 50m	5h 4m
Total cost (1 person)	$66	$125	$24	$13
Carbon footprint	58 kg CO₂	30 kg CO₂	7 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, 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 16, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

142.6 mi 2h 55m

via I 5 Truck, I 405 Truck, CA 166

Alternative (+3 min)

143.3 mi 2h 58m

via I 5 Truck, CA 166, I 710

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Taft, CA to Long Beach, CA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.