City comparison
Downers Grove, IL is about 150 miles (250 km) from Springfield, IL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 200 miles, or about 3 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 Downers Grove, IL to Springfield, IL takes about 19 min, covering roughly 150 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.
Springfield has a population of 114,214, vs 49,996 in Downers Grove — about 2.3× larger by population. By land area, Springfield covers about 61 sq mi vs 15 sq mi for Downers Grove.
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 | Downers Grove | Springfield | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,535/mo | $913/mo | 68.1% higher in Downers Grove |
| Median home value | $425,000 | $147,700 | 187.7% higher in Downers Grove |
| Median household income | $115,461 | $62,419 | 85.0% higher in Downers Grove |
| Groceries index | 106.3 | 93.9 | 13.2% higher in Downers Grove |
| Utilities index | 84.3 | 90.5 | 7.4% higher in Springfield |
| Transportation index | 100.2 | 99.3 | 0.8% higher in Downers Grove |
| Healthcare index | 100.4 | 99.5 | 0.8% higher in Downers Grove |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Downers Grove, you'd need $81,756 in Springfield to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Springfield, IL is about 18.2% cheaper overall than Downers Grove, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 57% higher in Downers Grove than in Springfield. If you earn $80,000 in Downers Grove, you'd need about $65,405 in Springfield to keep the same standard of living.