City comparison
Chicago, IL is about 350 miles (550 km) from Woodbury, MN in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 425 miles, or about 7 h 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 Woodbury, MN takes about 41 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 75,549 in Woodbury — about 36.0× larger by population. By land area, Chicago covers about 230 sq mi vs 35 sq mi for Woodbury.
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 | Woodbury | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,767/mo | 34.5% higher in Woodbury |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $409,900 | 34.6% higher in Woodbury |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $125,097 | 74.5% higher in Woodbury |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 102.5 | 3.8% higher in Chicago |
| Utilities index | 84.4 | 93.3 | 10.6% higher in Woodbury |
| Transportation index | 100.3 | 103.7 | 3.4% higher in Woodbury |
| Healthcare index | 100.2 | 103.9 | 3.7% higher in Woodbury |
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 $102,459 in Woodbury to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 2.4% cheaper overall than Woodbury, MN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 3% higher in Woodbury than in Chicago. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $81,967 in Woodbury to keep the same standard of living.