City comparison
Fontana, CA is about 225 miles (375 km) from Fresno, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 275 miles, or about 4 h 45 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 Fontana, CA to Fresno, CA takes about 27 min, covering roughly 225 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.
Fresno has a population of 541,528, vs 209,279 in Fontana — about 2.6× larger by population. By land area, Fresno covers about 115 sq mi vs 43 sq mi for Fontana.
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 | Fontana | Fresno | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,616/mo | $1,227/mo | 31.7% higher in Fontana |
| Median home value | $506,600 | $321,800 | 57.4% higher in Fontana |
| Median household income | $93,230 | $63,001 | 48.0% higher in Fontana |
| Groceries index | 101.7 | 105.1 | 3.3% higher in Fresno |
| Utilities index | 146.5 | 157.8 | 7.7% higher in Fresno |
| Transportation index | 101.6 | 100.7 | 0.9% higher in Fontana |
| Healthcare index | 101.5 | 100.6 | 0.9% higher in Fontana |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Fontana, you'd need $89,077 in Fresno to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Fresno, CA is about 10.9% cheaper overall than Fontana, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 35% higher in Fontana than in Fresno. If you earn $80,000 in Fontana, you'd need about $71,262 in Fresno to keep the same standard of living.