City comparison
Chicago, IL is about 450 miles (700 km) from Sioux City, IA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 550 miles, or about 9 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 Chicago, IL to Sioux City, IA takes about 54 min, covering roughly 450 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 85,469 in Sioux City — about 31.8× larger by population. By land area, Chicago covers about 230 sq mi vs 59 sq mi for Sioux City.
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 | Sioux City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $904/mo | 45.4% higher in Chicago |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $149,800 | 103.3% higher in Chicago |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $64,250 | 11.6% higher in Chicago |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 94.2 | 12.9% higher in Chicago |
| Utilities index | 84.4 | 83.5 | 1.0% higher in Chicago |
| Transportation index | 100.3 | 93.1 | 7.7% higher in Chicago |
| Healthcare index | 100.2 | 93.3 | 7.4% higher in Chicago |
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 $74,682 in Sioux City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Sioux City, IA is about 25.3% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 88% higher in Chicago than in Sioux City. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $59,745 in Sioux City to keep the same standard of living.