City comparison
McLean, VA is about 125 miles (225 km) from Newport News, VA 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 McLean, VA to Newport News, VA 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.
Newport News has a population of 185,118, vs 49,587 in McLean — about 3.7× larger by population. By land area, Newport News covers about 69 sq mi vs 25 sq mi for McLean.
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 | McLean | Newport News | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,319/mo | $1,209/mo | 174.5% higher in McLean |
| Median home value | $1,257,900 | $233,400 | 438.9% higher in McLean |
| Median household income | $250,001 | $63,355 | 294.6% higher in McLean |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 96.9 | 7.6% higher in McLean |
| Utilities index | 105.6 | 90.0 | 17.3% higher in McLean |
| Transportation index | 102.2 | 98.8 | 3.4% higher in McLean |
| Healthcare index | 101.6 | 98.3 | 3.5% higher in McLean |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in McLean, you'd need $76,664 in Newport News to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Newport News, VA is about 23.3% cheaper overall than McLean, VA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 62% higher in McLean than in Newport News. If you earn $80,000 in McLean, you'd need about $61,331 in Newport News to keep the same standard of living.