City comparison
Des Plaines, IL is about 40 miles (60 km) from Joliet, IL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 50 miles, or about 47 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 Des Plaines, IL to Joliet, IL takes about 5 min, covering roughly 40 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.
Joliet has a population of 150,221, vs 60,087 in Des Plaines — about 2.5× larger by population. By land area, Joliet covers about 66 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 | Des Plaines | Joliet | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,300/mo | $1,174/mo | 10.7% higher in Des Plaines |
| Median home value | $304,100 | $233,800 | 30.1% higher in Des Plaines |
| Median household income | $86,552 | $84,971 | 1.9% higher in Des Plaines |
| Groceries index | 106.3 | 106.3 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 84.3 | 84.3 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 100.2 | 100.2 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 100.4 | 100.4 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Des Plaines, you'd need $99,636 in Joliet to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Des Plaines and Joliet have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Des Plaines, you'd need about $79,709 in Joliet to keep the same standard of living.