Is it cheaper to fly or drive a Tesla from Richmond, VA to San Francisco, CA?

Fly it. 2,874 mi is more road than this trip is worth.

Richmond, VA to San Francisco, CA is 2,874 mi by road — 42h 27m of driving and 16 Supercharger stops — against 8h 42m door to door by air. Flying is the better call: the flight costs $947 against $280 to drive, and it saves 33h 45m of travel. On the 0-100 stress scale the drive scores 100 and the flight 76.

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.