City comparison
Ashburn, VA is about 20 miles (30 km) from Bethesda, MD in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 24 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 Ashburn, VA to Bethesda, MD takes about 2 min, covering roughly 20 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.
Bethesda has a population of 66,316, vs 45,479 in Ashburn — about 1.5× larger by population. By land area, Ashburn covers about 15 sq mi vs 13 sq mi for Bethesda.
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 | Ashburn | Bethesda | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,266/mo | $2,312/mo | 2.0% higher in Bethesda |
| Median home value | $618,000 | $1,088,000 | 76.1% higher in Bethesda |
| Median household income | $147,192 | $185,546 | 26.1% higher in Bethesda |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 104.3 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 105.6 | 105.6 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 102.2 | 102.2 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 101.6 | 101.6 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Ashburn, you'd need $100,112 in Bethesda to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Ashburn and Bethesda have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Ashburn, you'd need about $80,090 in Bethesda to keep the same standard of living.