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Drive or Fly: Vancouver, WA to Sumas, 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–BLI. At 275 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

5h 33m

Distance

275.3 mi

Total Cost

$96

CO2

111 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$61
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 7m

28m in the air

Air Distance

233 mi

Total Cost

$184

CO2

59 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Vancouver, WA → PDX 10m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 28m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
BLI → Sumas, WA 29m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $129) $129
Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Vancouver, WA PDX — Portland International Airport 5 mi, ~10m drive
Sumas, WA BLI — Bellingham International Airport 19 mi, ~29m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between PDX and BLI. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Saves about 2h 26m compared to driving
+ Less physical fatigue
+ Predictable arrival time
− Airport security and check-in overhead
− No scheduled commercial flights found for this route
− May need a rental car at destination
− Luggage fees and restrictions
− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

7h

5h 36m on rail

Total Cost

$43

CO2

12 kg

Route

Amtrak Cascades

Door-to-Door Timeline

Vancouver, WA → Vancouver 10m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 336m
Arrival 10m
Bellingham Amtrak Station → Sumas, WA 34m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $43) $43

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

Stations

From Vancouver 1 mi, ~10m drive
To Bellingham Amtrak Station 22 mi, ~34m 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

7h 12m

6h 5m on road

Total Cost

$24

CO2

13 kg

Route

FlixBus 2115

Door-to-Door Timeline

Vancouver, WA → Portland Curbside Bus Stop (PUT6) 11m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 365m
Arrival 10m
Bellingham (WWU - Lincoln Creek Park & Ride) (1BH) → Sumas, WA 31m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $24) $24

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

Stations

From PUT6 — Portland Curbside Bus Stop 8 mi, ~11m drive
To 1BH — Bellingham (WWU - Lincoln Creek Park & Ride) 20 mi, ~31m 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 5h 33m 3h 7m 7h 7h 12m
Total cost (1 person) $96 $184 $43 $24
Carbon footprint 111 kg CO2 59 kg CO2 12 kg CO2 13 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 Vancouver, WA to Sumas, WA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.