U.S. Highway 101 runs along the Oregon Coast from Astoria in the north on the border with Washington to Brookings in the south on the California border. The highway offers views of Pacific Ocean, making it one of the most scenic drives in the country, and runs through the heart of many coastal cities. However, from Florence to Bandon, the highway is slightly inland because of the vast Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.
The highway is connected to Interstate 5 by many highways that run along rivers, such as the Umpqua Highway 38. Typically it takes one to two hours to reach I-5 from the coast.
The only commercial airport on the coast lies in North Bend. The airport is serviced with daily flights to and from Portland International Airport via Horizon Air. You can drive from the airport in Portland to the coast via Highway 26 and Highway 6 in about couple hours. Flying into Portland is usually more economical than flying into North Bend.
