City comparison
Arlington, VA is about 10 miles (10 km) from McLean, VA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 8 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, VA to McLean, VA takes about 1 min, covering roughly 10 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.
Arlington has a population of 235,845, vs 49,587 in McLean — about 4.8× larger by population. By land area, Arlington covers about 26 sq mi vs 25 sq mi for McLean.
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 | McLean | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,227/mo | $3,319/mo | 49.0% higher in McLean |
| Median home value | $833,300 | $1,257,900 | 51.0% higher in McLean |
| Median household income | $137,387 | $250,001 | 82.0% higher in McLean |
| Groceries index | 104.6 | 104.3 | ≈ equal (Arlington slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 105.0 | 105.6 | 0.6% higher in McLean |
| Transportation index | 101.2 | 102.2 | 0.9% higher in McLean |
| Healthcare index | 101.5 | 101.6 | ≈ equal (McLean 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, you'd need $102,826 in McLean to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Arlington, VA is about 2.7% cheaper overall than McLean, VA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 5% higher in McLean than in Arlington. If you earn $80,000 in Arlington, you'd need about $82,261 in McLean to keep the same standard of living.