City comparison
McLean, VA is about 125 miles (225 km) from Philadelphia, PA 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 Philadelphia, PA 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.
Philadelphia has a population of 1,593,208, vs 49,587 in McLean — about 32.1× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 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 | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,319/mo | $1,250/mo | 165.5% higher in McLean |
| Median home value | $1,257,900 | $215,500 | 483.7% higher in McLean |
| Median household income | $250,001 | $57,537 | 334.5% higher in McLean |
| Groceries index | 104.3 | 97.0 | 7.5% higher in McLean |
| Utilities index | 105.6 | 112.3 | 6.3% higher in Philadelphia |
| Transportation index | 102.2 | 101.7 | ≈ equal (McLean slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 101.6 | 102.7 | 1.0% higher in Philadelphia |
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 $83,211 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 16.8% cheaper overall than McLean, VA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 44% higher in McLean than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in McLean, you'd need about $66,569 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.