City comparison
Arlington Heights, IL is about 20 miles (40 km) from Chicago, IL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 30 miles, or about 29 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Arlington Heights, IL to Chicago, IL takes about 3 min, covering roughly 20 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Chicago has a population of 2,721,914, vs 76,794 in Arlington Heights — about 35.4× larger by population. By land area, Chicago covers about 230 sq mi vs 17 sq mi for Arlington Heights.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Arlington Heights | Chicago | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,660/mo | $1,314/mo | 26.3% higher in Arlington Heights |
| Median home value | $396,500 | $304,500 | 30.2% higher in Arlington Heights |
| Median household income | $113,502 | $71,673 | 58.4% higher in Arlington Heights |
| Groceries index | 106.3 | 106.4 | ≈ equal (Chicago slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 84.3 | 84.4 | ≈ equal (Chicago slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 100.2 | 100.3 | ≈ equal (Chicago slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 100.4 | 100.2 | ≈ equal (Arlington Heights slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Arlington Heights, you'd need $99,052 in Chicago to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 0.9% cheaper overall than Arlington Heights, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 2% higher in Arlington Heights than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Arlington Heights, you'd need about $79,242 in Chicago to keep the same standard of living.