City comparison
Ellicott City, MD is about 30 miles (50 km) from McLean, VA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 40 miles, or about 38 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 Ellicott City, MD to McLean, VA takes about 4 min, covering roughly 30 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.
Ellicott City has a population of 73,589, vs 49,587 in McLean — about 1.5× larger by population. By land area, Ellicott City covers about 30 sq mi vs 25 sq mi for McLean.
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 | Ellicott City | McLean | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,921/mo | $3,319/mo | 72.8% higher in McLean |
| Median home value | $617,200 | $1,257,900 | 103.8% higher in McLean |
| Median household income | $149,534 | $250,001 | 67.2% higher in McLean |
| Groceries index | 102.0 | 104.3 | 2.2% higher in McLean |
| Utilities index | 108.8 | 105.6 | 3.0% higher in Ellicott City |
| Transportation index | 101.4 | 102.2 | 0.7% higher in McLean |
| Healthcare index | 100.9 | 101.6 | 0.7% higher in McLean |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Ellicott City, you'd need $115,576 in McLean to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Ellicott City, MD is about 13.5% cheaper overall than McLean, VA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 33% higher in McLean than in Ellicott City. If you earn $80,000 in Ellicott City, you'd need about $92,461 in McLean to keep the same standard of living.