Is it cheaper to fly or drive a Tesla from Washington, DC to San Francisco, CA?

Fly it. 2,812 mi is more road than this trip is worth.

Washington, DC to San Francisco, CA is 2,812 mi by road — 41h 34m of driving and 16 Supercharger stops — against 8h 42m door to door by air. Flying is the better call: the flight costs $947 against $274 to drive, and it saves 32h 52m 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.