City comparison
Philadelphia, PA is about 150 miles (225 km) from Reston, 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 Philadelphia, PA to Reston, VA takes about 17 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.
Philadelphia has a population of 1,593,208, vs 62,339 in Reston — about 25.6× larger by population. By land area, Philadelphia covers about 135 sq mi vs 15 sq mi for Reston.
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 | Philadelphia | Reston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,250/mo | $2,109/mo | 68.7% higher in Reston |
| Median home value | $215,500 | $591,900 | 174.7% higher in Reston |
| Median household income | $57,537 | $135,503 | 135.5% higher in Reston |
| Groceries index | 97.0 | 104.3 | 7.5% higher in Reston |
| Utilities index | 112.3 | 105.6 | 6.3% higher in Philadelphia |
| Transportation index | 101.7 | 102.2 | ≈ equal (Reston slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 102.7 | 101.6 | 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 Philadelphia, you'd need $116,761 in Reston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 14.4% cheaper overall than Reston, VA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 36% higher in Reston than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Philadelphia, you'd need about $93,409 in Reston to keep the same standard of living.