City comparison
Champaign, IL is about 80 miles (125 km) from Springfield, IL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 90 miles, or about 1 h 30 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 Champaign, IL to Springfield, IL takes about 9 min, covering roughly 80 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.
Springfield has a population of 114,214, vs 88,628 in Champaign — about 1.3× larger by population. By land area, Springfield covers about 61 sq mi vs 23 sq mi for Champaign.
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 | Champaign | Springfield | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,056/mo | $913/mo | 15.7% higher in Champaign |
| Median home value | $191,200 | $147,700 | 29.5% higher in Champaign |
| Median household income | $58,273 | $62,419 | 7.1% higher in Springfield |
| Groceries index | 93.9 | 93.9 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 90.6 | 90.5 | ≈ equal (Champaign slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 99.3 | 99.3 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 99.5 | 99.5 | ≈ 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 Champaign, you'd need $99,502 in Springfield to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Champaign and Springfield have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Champaign, you'd need about $79,602 in Springfield to keep the same standard of living.