City comparison
Cary, NC is about 225 miles (375 km) from McLean, VA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 300 miles, or about 5 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 Cary, NC to McLean, VA takes about 28 min, covering roughly 225 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.
Cary has a population of 174,880, vs 49,587 in McLean — about 3.5× larger by population. By land area, Cary covers about 61 sq mi vs 25 sq mi for McLean.
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 | Cary | McLean | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,538/mo | $3,319/mo | 115.8% higher in McLean |
| Median home value | $477,400 | $1,257,900 | 163.5% higher in McLean |
| Median household income | $125,317 | $250,001 | 99.5% higher in McLean |
| Groceries index | 96.8 | 104.3 | 7.7% higher in McLean |
| Utilities index | 89.5 | 105.6 | 18.0% higher in McLean |
| Transportation index | 98.4 | 102.2 | 3.8% higher in McLean |
| Healthcare index | 97.9 | 101.6 | 3.8% higher in McLean |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Cary, you'd need $127,560 in McLean to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Cary, NC is about 21.6% cheaper overall than McLean, VA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 53% higher in McLean than in Cary. If you earn $80,000 in Cary, you'd need about $102,048 in McLean to keep the same standard of living.