Is it cheaper to fly or drive a Tesla from Detroit, MI to San Francisco, CA?

Fly it. 2,394 mi is more road than this trip is worth.

Detroit, MI to San Francisco, CA is 2,394 mi by road — 35h 5m of driving and 13 Supercharger stops — against 8h 1m door to door by air. Flying is the better call: the flight costs $859 against $233 to drive, and it saves 27h 4m of travel. On the 0-100 stress scale the drive scores 100 and the flight 73.

Priced with fast charging at $0.36 per kWh and 3.7 miles per kWh, airfare from a $95 base plus $0.13 a mile per person, one $35 bag and a $30 ride at each end. Airfare is modelled from flight distance, not a live fare quote, so treat it as a typical fare rather than today's price. Rates last reviewed 14 September 2026; this trip last priced 13 September 2026.