City comparison
Los Angeles, CA is about 325 miles (500 km) from Redwood City, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 400 miles, or about 6 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 Los Angeles, CA to Redwood City, CA takes about 39 min, covering roughly 325 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.
Los Angeles has a population of 3,881,041, vs 83,077 in Redwood City — about 46.7× larger by population. By land area, Los Angeles covers about 470 sq mi vs 19 sq mi for Redwood City.
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 | Los Angeles | Redwood City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,791/mo | $2,899/mo | 61.9% higher in Redwood City |
| Median home value | $822,600 | $1,777,600 | 116.1% higher in Redwood City |
| Median household income | $76,244 | $145,620 | 91.0% higher in Redwood City |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 107.4 | 0.9% higher in Redwood City |
| Utilities index | 151.7 | 165.0 | 8.7% higher in Redwood City |
| Transportation index | 104.0 | 104.8 | 0.8% higher in Redwood City |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 104.8 | ≈ equal (Redwood City slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Los Angeles, you'd need $111,628 in Redwood City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Los Angeles, CA is about 10.4% cheaper overall than Redwood City, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 20% higher in Redwood City than in Los Angeles. If you earn $80,000 in Los Angeles, you'd need about $89,302 in Redwood City to keep the same standard of living.