Drive or Fly: Yuba City, 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 SMF–LGB. At 448 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

8h 21m

Distance

448.6 mi

Total Cost

$135

CO2

181 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$100

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

− Driver fatigue on longer stretches

− Wear and tear on vehicle

− Fuel price fluctuations

Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

3h 46m

50m in the air

Air Distance

417 mi

Total Cost

$192

CO2

106 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Yuba City, CA → SMF 46m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 50m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

LGB → Long Beach, CA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $137) $137

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Yuba City, CA SMF — Sacramento International Airport 31 mi, ~46m drive

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

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between SMF and LGB. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Saves about 4h 35m 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

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly
Door-to-door time	8h 21m	3h 46m
Total cost (1 person)	$135	$192
Carbon footprint	181 kg CO₂	106 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

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 Yuba City, CA to Long Beach, CA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.