City comparison
Arlington, VA is about 125 miles (200 km) from Newport News, VA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 150 miles, or about 2 h 45 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 Newport News, VA takes about 15 min, covering roughly 125 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 185,118 in Newport News — about 1.3× larger by population. By land area, Newport News covers about 69 sq mi vs 26 sq mi for Arlington.
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 | Newport News | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,227/mo | $1,209/mo | 84.2% higher in Arlington |
| Median home value | $833,300 | $233,400 | 257.0% higher in Arlington |
| Median household income | $137,387 | $63,355 | 116.9% higher in Arlington |
| Groceries index | 104.6 | 96.9 | 7.9% higher in Arlington |
| Utilities index | 105.0 | 90.0 | 16.6% higher in Arlington |
| Transportation index | 101.2 | 98.8 | 2.5% higher in Arlington |
| Healthcare index | 101.5 | 98.3 | 3.3% higher in Arlington |
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 $78,831 in Newport News to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Newport News, VA is about 21.2% cheaper overall than Arlington, VA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 54% higher in Arlington than in Newport News. If you earn $80,000 in Arlington, you'd need about $63,065 in Newport News to keep the same standard of living.