City comparison
Chicago, IL is about 325 miles (500 km) from West Des Moines, IA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 400 miles, or about 6 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 West Des Moines, IA takes about 38 min, covering roughly 325 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 68,744 in West Des Moines — about 39.6× larger by population. By land area, Chicago covers about 230 sq mi vs 47 sq mi for West Des Moines.
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 | West Des Moines | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,153/mo | 14.0% higher in Chicago |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $266,700 | 14.2% higher in Chicago |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $82,345 | 14.9% higher in West Des Moines |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 94.0 | 13.2% higher in Chicago |
| Utilities index | 84.4 | 85.2 | 1.0% higher in West Des Moines |
| Transportation index | 100.3 | 93.3 | 7.5% higher in Chicago |
| Healthcare index | 100.2 | 93.5 | 7.2% 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 $85,466 in West Des Moines to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
West Des Moines, IA is about 14.5% cheaper overall than Chicago, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 30% higher in Chicago than in West Des Moines. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $68,372 in West Des Moines to keep the same standard of living.