City comparison
Chicago, IL is about 20 miles (30 km) from Des Plaines, IL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 22 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 Chicago, IL to Des Plaines, IL 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.
Chicago has a population of 2,721,914, vs 60,087 in Des Plaines — about 45.3× larger by population. By land area, Chicago covers about 230 sq mi vs 14 sq mi for Des Plaines.
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 | Chicago | Des Plaines | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,300/mo | 1.1% higher in Chicago |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $304,100 | 0.1% higher in Chicago |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $86,552 | 20.8% higher in Des Plaines |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 106.3 | ≈ equal (Chicago slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 84.4 | 84.3 | ≈ equal (Chicago slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 100.3 | 100.2 | ≈ equal (Chicago slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 100.2 | 100.4 | ≈ equal (Des Plaines slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Chicago, you'd need $99,923 in Des Plaines to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago and Des Plaines have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $79,939 in Des Plaines to keep the same standard of living.