City comparison
Elmhurst, IL is about 175 miles (275 km) from Springfield, IL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 225 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 Elmhurst, IL to Springfield, IL takes about 20 min, covering roughly 175 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 45,648 in Elmhurst — about 2.5× larger by population. By land area, Springfield covers about 61 sq mi vs 10 sq mi for Elmhurst.
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 | Elmhurst | Springfield | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,843/mo | $913/mo | 101.9% higher in Elmhurst |
| Median home value | $516,900 | $147,700 | 250.0% higher in Elmhurst |
| Median household income | $143,492 | $62,419 | 129.9% higher in Elmhurst |
| Groceries index | 106.3 | 93.9 | 13.2% higher in Elmhurst |
| Utilities index | 84.3 | 90.5 | 7.4% higher in Springfield |
| Transportation index | 100.2 | 99.3 | 0.8% higher in Elmhurst |
| Healthcare index | 100.4 | 99.5 | 0.8% higher in Elmhurst |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Elmhurst, you'd need $81,039 in Springfield to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Springfield, IL is about 19% cheaper overall than Elmhurst, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 61% higher in Elmhurst than in Springfield. If you earn $80,000 in Elmhurst, you'd need about $64,831 in Springfield to keep the same standard of living.