Chicago, IL
Car shipping Chicago
The Midwest’s carrier crossroads: I-65 south to Florida, I-55 to I-40 for Arizona.
City guide
Midwest · IL
Illinois Auto Transport & Car Shipping
Into Illinois from $800 · Out of Illinois from $800 · Door-to-door in Chicago, Naperville, Rockford and statewide
- Pickup in 1–5 days
- I-55 · I-57 · I-65 · I-80 · I-90 · I-94
- Busiest: October–December, June–August
888-706-8784Specialists answer 7 days a week
Quote to or from Illinois
Compare quotes from licensed, bonded carriers.
- 1. Route
- 2. Vehicle
- 3. Contact
No obligation · Takes 60 seconds · We never sell your data
- Insured carriers
- 1–5 day pickup
- No deposit to us
- Insured up to $100k+ per vehicle*
- Door-to-door pickup & delivery
- No upfront payment to us
- Real-time tracking updates
- Major metros served
- Chicago, Naperville, Rockford
- and 2 more
- Ports
- Port of Chicago (Illinois International Port)
- Interstates
- I-55, I-57, I-65, I-80, I-90, I-94
- Shipping into the state
- $800 – $1,650
- typical sedan, open
- Shipping out
- $800 – $1,600
- typical sedan, open
- Busiest months
- October–December, June–August
Shipping a car to or from Illinois: the Midwest's hub
Chicago is the Midwest's car shipping hub in the way Atlanta is the Southeast's. Six interstates converge on it: I-55 to St. Louis and the Southwest, I-57 south through the state, I-65 via Indiana to the Southeast, I-80 east–west across the country, I-90 to Wisconsin and the Northeast, and I-94 to Detroit and Minneapolis. Carriers from every direction pass through, and that traffic keeps Illinois prices competitive in both directions.
The seasonal pattern is a two-sided snowbird migration. From October through December, Chicago-area retirees ship to Florida's Gulf Coast, Naples and Fort Myers especially, down I-65 and I-75, and to Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa down I-55, I-44, I-40 and I-17. Both return in spring. Between those peaks, corporate relocations to Texas and the Southeast, university moves, and a large dealer and auction trade around the Chicago suburbs keep carriers full. Inbound traffic is steady from the same lanes.
This page covers the cost of shipping into and out of Illinois on the main routes, the calendar and how far ahead to book in season, the Chicago city guide, and the practical details for a state with a dense downtown, a wide suburban belt and a real winter.
Outbound
Shipping a car from Illinois
Leaving Illinois? These are the destinations with the most carrier capacity.
| Delivery | Distance | Transit | Open carrier | Enclosed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| To Florida | 1,250 mi | 3–5 days | $950 – $1,350 | $1,350 – $1,950 |
| To Arizona | 1,750 mi | 4–7 days | $1,100 – $1,550 | $1,600 – $2,250 |
| To Miami, FL | 1,380 mi | 3–5 days | $975 – $1,375 | $1,400 – $2,000 |
| To Phoenix, AZ | 1,750 mi | 4–7 days | $1,100 – $1,550 | $1,600 – $2,250 |
- Distance1,250 miTransit3–5 daysOpen carrier$950 – $1,350Enclosed$1,350 – $1,950
- Distance1,750 miTransit4–7 daysOpen carrier$1,100 – $1,550Enclosed$1,600 – $2,250
- Distance1,380 miTransit3–5 daysOpen carrier$975 – $1,375Enclosed$1,400 – $2,000
- Distance1,750 miTransit4–7 daysOpen carrier$1,100 – $1,550Enclosed$1,600 – $2,250
Sedan, running, standard pickup window. Select a route for the full price table by vehicle type.
Cities
Illinois cities we serve door-to-door
Each city guide covers pickup logistics, the nearest carrier terminal and price examples to the most common destinations.
Cost
What it costs to ship a car to or from Illinois
Typical ranges by distance band. Inbound Illinois shipments run $800–$1,650 on the busiest lanes.
| Distance | Open carrier | Enclosed carrier | Transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short (under 500 miles) | $525 – $700 | $750 – $1,000 | 1–3 days |
| Medium (500–1,500 miles) | $975 – $1,300 | $1,425 – $1,900 | 3–5 days |
| Cross-country (1,500+ miles) | $1,600 – $2,125 | $2,300 – $3,075 | 6–9 days |
- Short (under 500 miles)Open carrier$525 – $700Enclosed carrier$750 – $1,000Transit1–3 days
- Medium (500–1,500 miles)Open carrier$975 – $1,300Enclosed carrier$1,425 – $1,900Transit3–5 days
- Cross-country (1,500+ miles)Open carrier$1,600 – $2,125Enclosed carrier$2,300 – $3,075Transit6–9 days
Running sedan, flexible pickup window. SUVs add about 12%, pickups 20%, inoperable vehicles about $150.
After delivery
Registering a car after it arrives in Illinois
The paperwork Illinois asks of a new resident, so you can book the DMV visit for the week the car lands rather than discover it at the counter.
Registration deadline
Apply for an Illinois title and registration within 30 days of establishing residency.
VIN verification
No separate VIN verification for a vehicle with a clean out-of-state title.
Inspections
No safety inspection. Emissions testing applies to gasoline vehicles of model year 1996 or newer in the Chicago area (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will and parts of Kendall) and Metro East (Madison, Monroe, St. Clair).
Also worth knowing
Bring proof of Illinois insurance and the out-of-state title.
Source: Illinois Secretary of State . Checked September 15, 2026. Deadlines and inspection rules change; confirm on the official page before you go.
Delivering in Illinois: downtown, the suburbs, downstate and the cold
Downtown Chicago is a meeting-point pickup. The Loop, River North, Streeterville and the high-rise districts along the lake have no room for a 75-foot truck to stop, and the alley system does not help. Drivers propose a spot the day before: a big-box lot near the Kennedy or Stevenson expressways, the retail strips of Cicero or Skokie, or a Metra park-and-ride. If the car lives in a building garage, you or a friend drive it to the meeting point. The bungalow neighbourhoods on the North and Southwest Sides usually work at the curb, and the suburbs from Naperville to Schaumburg to Orland Park are driveway pickups.
Downstate is served but thinner. Rockford on I-90, Peoria on I-74, Springfield and Bloomington on I-55 and Champaign on I-57 all see through-carriers, and pickups there add $50–$100 and often a day compared with the Chicago area. A meeting point on the interstate is sometimes offered to keep the price at the Chicago level.
Winter shapes the calendar. The snowbird departures in October and November are before the worst weather; January and February storms and lake-effect snow along the north shore can hold a pickup by a day, and I-80 and I-90 close occasionally. Carriers wait it out at no charge. Summer is the busy inbound season for relocations and students, and the tollways make suburban pickups fast for drivers.
Paperwork is keys and a photo ID at pickup and the receiver's name and phone number for delivery. Illinois requires no state form to ship a vehicle in or out, and an out-of-state car being registered in the Chicago area needs an emissions test afterward, which is separate from the shipment. Remove the I-PASS transponder before loading.
Services
Services Illinois customers book most
Chosen from what ships on these lanes, not a generic list.
- from $850
Snowbird Car Shipping
Seasonal shipping to Florida and Arizona each fall, and home again in spring. Book early for the best window.
Learn more - from $1,400
Cross-Country Shipping
Coast to coast in 7–10 days on I-40, I-70 or I-80. Priced per mile far below short hauls.
Learn more - from $550
Door-to-Door Shipping
The carrier picks up and delivers as close to your address as the truck can safely get. No terminals, no extra trips.
Learn more
Questions
Illinois car shipping questions
Not covered here? A specialist can answer route-specific questions in a couple of minutes.
888-706-8784$950–$1,350 for a running sedan on an open carrier to Florida, $1,100–$1,550 to Arizona, $750–$1,050 to Texas and $1,300–$1,800 to California. Inbound is similar. Enclosed adds 40–60%.
Three to five days on the truck to Florida, four to seven to Arizona, two to four to Texas, five to eight to the West Coast, one to two to neighbouring states. Add one to five days for carrier assignment and pickup.
I-65 through Indianapolis and Louisville to Nashville, then I-24 and I-75 through Chattanooga and Atlanta into Florida. It is the main Midwest-to-Florida corridor and is busy from October through January.
Not in the Loop, River North or the lakefront high-rise districts. Drivers meet customers at a lot near I-90/94 or I-55, on the retail strips of the near suburbs, or at a Metra park-and-ride. Bungalow-belt neighbourhoods and the suburbs are usually served at the address.
January and February bring storms that can hold a pickup by a day, and lake-effect snow affects the north shore. Carriers wait it out at no charge. Snowbird shipments in October and November are before the worst weather.
A little. They are on I-90, I-74 and I-55 respectively and see through-carriers, but fewer than Chicago. Add $50–$100 and often a day, or meet a Chicago-area truck to avoid it.
Yes; Chicago to Phoenix is one of the busiest western snowbird lanes at $1,100–$1,550 open and four to seven days on the truck. Book two to three weeks ahead in October and November, and book the spring return at the same time.
Ready to ship a car to or from Illinois?
Carriers run I-55 and I-57 daily. Tell us the route and vehicle and a specialist will confirm the price and the earliest pickup.
Average response time under 5 minutes during business hours (Mon–Sun 7am–9pm ET).
Last updated September 12, 2026 · Written by the AutoShippingUS Editorial Team · Reviewed by Christofer Whiteman, Editor · Industry review by Sarah Williams, Independent auto transport consultant, 20 years in the industry