City comparison
Normal, IL is about 60 miles (100 km) from Springfield, IL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 80 miles, or about 1 h 15 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 Normal, IL to Springfield, IL takes about 7 min, covering roughly 60 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.
Springfield has a population of 114,214, vs 52,920 in Normal — about 2.2× larger by population. By land area, Springfield covers about 61 sq mi vs 19 sq mi for Normal.
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 | Normal | Springfield | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $924/mo | $913/mo | 1.2% higher in Normal |
| Median home value | $194,400 | $147,700 | 31.6% higher in Normal |
| Median household income | $63,965 | $62,419 | 2.5% higher in Normal |
| Groceries index | 93.9 | 93.9 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 89.8 | 90.5 | 0.8% higher in Springfield |
| Transportation index | 99.3 | 99.3 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 99.5 | 99.5 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Normal, you'd need $98,668 in Springfield to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Springfield, IL is about 1.3% cheaper overall than Normal, IL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 4% higher in Normal than in Springfield. If you earn $80,000 in Normal, you'd need about $78,935 in Springfield to keep the same standard of living.