City comparison
Chattanooga, TN is about 400 miles (650 km) from Springfield, IL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 500 miles, or about 8 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 Chattanooga, TN to Springfield, IL takes about 49 min, covering roughly 400 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.
Chattanooga has a population of 181,288, vs 114,214 in Springfield — about 1.6× larger by population. By land area, Chattanooga covers about 140 sq mi vs 61 sq mi for Springfield.
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 | Chattanooga | Springfield | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,066/mo | $913/mo | 16.8% higher in Chattanooga |
| Median home value | $230,500 | $147,700 | 56.1% higher in Chattanooga |
| Median household income | $57,703 | $62,419 | 8.2% higher in Springfield |
| Groceries index | 96.2 | 93.9 | 2.5% higher in Chattanooga |
| Utilities index | 76.1 | 90.5 | 19.0% higher in Springfield |
| Transportation index | 95.8 | 99.3 | 3.7% higher in Springfield |
| Healthcare index | 95.3 | 99.5 | 4.5% higher in Springfield |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Chattanooga, you'd need $99,733 in Springfield to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chattanooga and Springfield have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 8% higher in Chattanooga than in Springfield. If you earn $80,000 in Chattanooga, you'd need about $79,786 in Springfield to keep the same standard of living.