Checked 3×
Is it cheaper to fly or drive a Tesla from San Francisco, CA to New York, NY?
Book the flightFlying is cheaper by
$550
In the car
49h 31m
Stress
About even
Car 64 · Flight 60
2,906 mi by road
8h 59m by air, only 5h 43m of it flying. 1 in 5 run late.
How this was priced
San Francisco, CA to New York, NY is 2,906 mi by road — 49h 31m of driving and 16 Supercharger stops — against 8h 59m door to door by air. Flying is the better call: the flight costs $577 against $1,127 to drive, and it saves 40h 32m of travel. On the 0-100 stress scale the drive scores 64 and the flight 60.
Priced with fast charging at $0.50 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 29 October 2026.
Checking the route…
Check this yourself
- Distance and drive time come from live road routing, not straight lines.
- Every rate used is listed on Cost analysis and sourced on Sources.
- This trip as raw data: san-francisco-ca-to-new-york-ny.json
- Last recalculated 2026-10-29 · checked 3×. Costs are modelled estimates, not quotes.
Questions about this trip
Is it cheaper to drive a Tesla or fly from San Francisco, CA to New York, NY?
Driving costs about $1,127 and flying about $577, so flying is cheaper by $550. The drive counts charging and a hotel night if it takes more than a day. The flight counts fares, bags, airport food on long flights and the rides at both ends.
How long does each take, door to door?
The drive is about 49h 31m including 16 Supercharger stops. Flying is about 8h 59m, counting the trip to the airport, security, the flight and getting to your destination.
How many Supercharger stops will I need?
About 16 Supercharger stops for 2,906 mi, assuming you leave full and charge to roughly 80% at each stop. Real range drops in cold weather, rain and at high speed.
How accurate are these numbers?
They're modelled estimates, not quotes. Airfares change daily, so check a real fare before booking. This trip was last priced 29 October 2026. Every rate and where it comes from is on the Sources page.