City comparison
McLean, VA is about 150 miles (250 km) from Norfolk, VA 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 McLean, VA to Norfolk, VA takes about 18 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.
Norfolk has a population of 236,973, vs 49,587 in McLean — about 4.8× larger by population. By land area, Norfolk covers about 53 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 | Norfolk | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,319/mo | $1,188/mo | 179.4% higher in McLean |
| Median home value | $1,257,900 | $254,200 | 394.8% higher in McLean |
| Median household income | $250,001 | $60,998 | 309.9% 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 $76,609 in Norfolk to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Norfolk, VA is about 23.4% cheaper overall than McLean, VA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 62% higher in McLean than in Norfolk. If you earn $80,000 in McLean, you'd need about $61,287 in Norfolk to keep the same standard of living.