City comparison
Portland, OR is about 150 miles (225 km) from Seattle, WA 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 Portland, OR to Seattle, WA 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.
Seattle has a population of 734,603, vs 646,101 in Portland — about 1.1× larger by population. By land area, Portland covers about 135 sq mi vs 84 sq mi for Seattle.
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 | Portland | Seattle | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,530/mo | $1,945/mo | 27.1% higher in Seattle |
| Median home value | $523,100 | $879,900 | 68.2% higher in Seattle |
| Median household income | $85,876 | $116,068 | 35.2% higher in Seattle |
| Groceries index | 105.1 | 103.0 | 2.0% higher in Portland |
| Utilities index | 108.6 | 92.5 | 17.4% higher in Portland |
| Transportation index | 100.5 | 108.1 | 7.5% higher in Seattle |
| Healthcare index | 100.5 | 108.8 | 8.2% higher in Seattle |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Portland, you'd need $110,717 in Seattle to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Portland, OR is about 9.7% cheaper overall than Seattle, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 21% higher in Seattle than in Portland. If you earn $80,000 in Portland, you'd need about $88,574 in Seattle to keep the same standard of living.