City comparison
Arlington, VA is about 10 miles (20 km) from Rockville, MD in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 18 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 Rockville, MD takes about 2 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 67,142 in Rockville — about 3.5× larger by population. By land area, Arlington covers about 26 sq mi vs 14 sq mi for Rockville.
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 | Rockville | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,227/mo | $2,167/mo | 2.8% higher in Arlington |
| Median home value | $833,300 | $623,800 | 33.6% higher in Arlington |
| Median household income | $137,387 | $122,470 | 12.2% higher in Arlington |
| Groceries index | 104.6 | 104.3 | ≈ equal (Arlington slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 105.0 | 105.6 | 0.6% higher in Rockville |
| Transportation index | 101.2 | 102.2 | 0.9% higher in Rockville |
| Healthcare index | 101.5 | 101.6 | ≈ equal (Rockville 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 $100,040 in Rockville to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Arlington and Rockville have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Arlington, you'd need about $80,032 in Rockville to keep the same standard of living.