City comparison
Arlington, VA is about 125 miles (200 km) from Philadelphia, PA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 175 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 Philadelphia, PA takes about 16 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.
Philadelphia has a population of 1,593,208, vs 235,845 in Arlington — about 6.8× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 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 | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,227/mo | $1,250/mo | 78.2% higher in Arlington |
| Median home value | $833,300 | $215,500 | 286.7% higher in Arlington |
| Median household income | $137,387 | $57,537 | 138.8% higher in Arlington |
| Groceries index | 104.6 | 97.0 | 7.8% higher in Arlington |
| Utilities index | 105.0 | 112.3 | 7.0% higher in Philadelphia |
| Transportation index | 101.2 | 101.7 | 0.5% higher in Philadelphia |
| Healthcare index | 101.5 | 102.7 | 1.2% higher in Philadelphia |
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 $85,562 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 14.4% cheaper overall than Arlington, VA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 37% higher in Arlington than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Arlington, you'd need about $68,450 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.