Drive or Fly: Vancouver, WA to Mountlake Terrace, 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 PDX–PAE. At 177 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

3h 28m

Distance

177.2 mi

Total Cost

$74

CO2

72 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$39

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 40m

18m in the air

Air Distance

149 mi

Total Cost

$126

CO2

38 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Vancouver, WA → PDX 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 18m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

PAE → Mountlake Terrace, WA 12m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $126) $126

Airports

Vancouver, WA PDX — Portland International Airport 5 mi, ~10m drive

Mountlake Terrace, WA PAE — Seattle Paine Field International Airport 8 mi, ~12m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between PDX and PAE. 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 56m

3h 56m on rail

Total Cost

$30

CO2

9 kg

Route

Amtrak Cascades

Door-to-Door Timeline

Vancouver, WA → Vancouver 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 236m

Arrival 10m

Edmonds → Mountlake Terrace, WA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $30) $30

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

Stations

From Vancouver 1 mi, ~10m drive

To Edmonds 4 mi, ~10m 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

4h 55m

4h 5m on road

Total Cost

$16

CO2

9 kg

Route

FlixBus 2110

Door-to-Door Timeline

Vancouver, WA → Portland Curbside Bus Stop (PUT6) 11m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 245m

Arrival 10m

Seattle (University of Washington) (1UW) → Mountlake Terrace, WA 14m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $16) $16

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

Stations

From PUT6 — Portland Curbside Bus Stop 8 mi, ~11m drive

To 1UW — Seattle (University of Washington) 9 mi, ~14m 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	3h 28m	2h 40m	4h 56m	4h 55m
Total cost (1 person)	$74	$126	$30	$16
Carbon footprint	72 kg CO₂	38 kg CO₂	9 kg CO₂	9 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 13, 2026.

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