City comparison
Arlington, VA is about 150 miles (225 km) from Norfolk, VA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 175 miles, or about 3 h 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 Norfolk, VA takes about 17 min, covering roughly 150 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.
Norfolk has a population of 236,973, vs 235,845 in Arlington — about the same size. By land area, Norfolk covers about 53 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 | Norfolk | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,227/mo | $1,188/mo | 87.5% higher in Arlington |
| Median home value | $833,300 | $254,200 | 227.8% higher in Arlington |
| Median household income | $137,387 | $60,998 | 125.2% 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 $78,774 in Norfolk to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Norfolk, 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 Norfolk. If you earn $80,000 in Arlington, you'd need about $63,020 in Norfolk to keep the same standard of living.