City comparison
Ashburn, VA is about 150 miles (250 km) from Norfolk, VA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 200 miles, or about 3 h 15 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 Norfolk, VA takes about 19 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 45,479 in Ashburn — about 5.2× larger by population. By land area, Norfolk covers about 53 sq mi vs 15 sq mi for Ashburn.
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 | Norfolk | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,266/mo | $1,188/mo | 90.7% higher in Ashburn |
| Median home value | $618,000 | $254,200 | 143.1% higher in Ashburn |
| Median household income | $147,192 | $60,998 | 141.3% higher in Ashburn |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 96.9 | 7.6% higher in Ashburn |
| Utilities index | 105.6 | 90.0 | 17.3% higher in Ashburn |
| Transportation index | 102.2 | 98.8 | 3.4% higher in Ashburn |
| Healthcare index | 101.6 | 98.3 | 3.5% higher in Ashburn |
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 $78,553 in Norfolk to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Norfolk, VA is about 21.4% cheaper overall than Ashburn, VA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 55% higher in Ashburn than in Norfolk. If you earn $80,000 in Ashburn, you'd need about $62,842 in Norfolk to keep the same standard of living.