Drive or Fly: Woodburn, OR to Lake Oswego, OR?

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 SLE–PDX. At 26 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

35m

Distance

26.1 mi

Total Cost

$41

CO2

11 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$6

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

3m in the air

Air Distance

21 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

5 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Woodburn, OR → SLE 27m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 3m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

PDX → Lake Oswego, OR 18m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

Woodburn, OR SLE — Salem-Willamette Valley Airport/McNary Field 18 mi, ~27m drive

Lake Oswego, OR PDX — Portland International Airport 12 mi, ~18m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between SLE and PDX. 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 57m

42m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

Amtrak Cascades

Door-to-Door Timeline

Woodburn, OR → Salem 25m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 42m

Arrival 10m

Oregon City Amtrak → Lake Oswego, OR 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $7) $7

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

Stations

From Salem 17 mi, ~25m drive

To Oregon City Amtrak 5 mi, ~10m 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

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

2h 1m

1h on road

Total Cost

CO2

3 kg

Route

FlixBus N2111

Door-to-Door Timeline

Woodburn, OR → Salem (Chemeketa & Liberty) (1SA) 25m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 60m

Arrival 10m

Portland Curbside Bus Stop (PUT6) → Lake Oswego, OR 11m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $5) $5

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

Stations

From 1SA — Salem (Chemeketa & Liberty) 17 mi, ~25m drive

To PUT6 — Portland Curbside Bus Stop 8 mi, ~11m 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	35m	2h 48m	1h 57m	2h 1m
Total cost (1 person)	$41	$121	$7	$5
Carbon footprint	11 kg CO₂	5 kg CO₂	2 kg CO₂	3 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 15, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Woodburn, OR to Lake Oswego, OR with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.