City comparison
Chicago, IL is about 350 miles (550 km) from St. Louis Park, MN in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 450 miles, or about 7 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 Chicago, IL to St. Louis Park, MN takes about 43 min, covering roughly 350 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 49,500 in St. Louis Park — about 55.0× larger by population. By land area, Chicago covers about 230 sq mi vs 11 sq mi for St. Louis Park.
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 | St. Louis Park | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,504/mo | 14.5% higher in St. Louis Park |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $357,900 | 17.5% higher in St. Louis Park |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $94,263 | 31.5% higher in St. Louis Park |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 102.5 | 3.8% higher in Chicago |
| Utilities index | 84.4 | 93.3 | 10.6% higher in St. Louis Park |
| Transportation index | 100.3 | 103.7 | 3.4% higher in St. Louis Park |
| Healthcare index | 100.2 | 103.9 | 3.7% higher in St. Louis Park |
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 $101,713 in St. Louis Park to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 1.7% cheaper overall than St. Louis Park, MN, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $81,370 in St. Louis Park to keep the same standard of living.