City comparison
Joliet, IL is about 150 miles (225 km) from Springfield, IL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 175 miles, or about 3 h 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 Joliet, IL to Springfield, IL takes about 17 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.
Joliet has a population of 150,221, vs 114,214 in Springfield — about 1.3× larger by population. By land area, Joliet covers about 66 sq mi vs 61 sq mi for Springfield.
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 | Joliet | Springfield | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,174/mo | $913/mo | 28.6% higher in Joliet |
| Median home value | $233,800 | $147,700 | 58.3% higher in Joliet |
| Median household income | $84,971 | $62,419 | 36.1% higher in Joliet |
| Groceries index | 106.3 | 93.9 | 13.2% higher in Joliet |
| Utilities index | 84.3 | 90.5 | 7.4% higher in Springfield |
| Transportation index | 100.2 | 99.3 | 0.8% higher in Joliet |
| Healthcare index | 100.4 | 99.5 | 0.8% higher in Joliet |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Joliet, you'd need $82,605 in Springfield to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Springfield, IL is about 17.4% cheaper overall than Joliet, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 54% higher in Joliet than in Springfield. If you earn $80,000 in Joliet, you'd need about $66,084 in Springfield to keep the same standard of living.