City comparison
Jacksonville, FL is about 125 miles (225 km) from Orlando, FL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 175 miles, or about 2 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 Jacksonville, FL to Orlando, FL takes about 16 min, covering roughly 125 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.
Jacksonville has a population of 950,203, vs 307,738 in Orlando — about 3.1× larger by population. By land area, Jacksonville covers about 745 sq mi vs 110 sq mi for Orlando.
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 | Jacksonville | Orlando | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,281/mo | $1,509/mo | 17.8% higher in Orlando |
| Median home value | $243,000 | $332,700 | 36.9% higher in Orlando |
| Median household income | $64,138 | $66,292 | 3.4% higher in Orlando |
| Groceries index | 96.5 | 96.5 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 88.2 | 87.9 | ≈ equal (Jacksonville slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 99.0 | 99.0 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 98.5 | 98.5 | ≈ 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 Jacksonville, you'd need $105,797 in Orlando to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Jacksonville, FL is about 5.5% cheaper overall than Orlando, FL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 13% higher in Orlando than in Jacksonville. If you earn $80,000 in Jacksonville, you'd need about $84,637 in Orlando to keep the same standard of living.