Illinois car shipping
Car Shipping in Illinois
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$0.40–$1.89 per mile
Open transport rate
1–3 days
Avg. transit time
$240 – $660
Within Illinois
$0.52–$3.02 per mile
Enclosed transport rate
Free · No obligation · About a minute
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Illinois shipping rates
Published figures for a standard car, by estimated distance.
- Open transport
- $0.40–$1.89 per mile
- Enclosed transport
- $0.52–$3.02 per mile
- Within Illinois
- $240 – $660
- Illinois to California
- $790 – $3,725
- Illinois to Indiana
- $240 – $660
- Illinois to Texas
- $715 – $1,850
Winter weather affects pickup, not just price
No source publishes monthly prices by state, so this is what the studies say about timing.
Storms and mountain passes can delay a truck that is already on the road, so a wider pickup window matters more here than a slightly lower quote.
Published price adjustments
- Pickup truckPickups cost about 38% more to ship than standard cars.Source: Move.org
- SUVAt 500 miles, an SUV averaged $743 against $696 for a car.Source: Move.org
- Non-running vehicleAdd $150 to $300 for a vehicle that does not run.Source: Direct Connect Auto Transport
Why ship your car in Illinois?
Chicago is the busiest freight interchange in North America, and that is the single most useful thing to know about shipping a car in Illinois. Roughly a quarter of all US freight trains and half of all intermodal trains pass through the metropolitan area, and some facilities there handle over thirty thousand trucks a day. Carriers are therefore rarely far away — and the same congestion that makes the hub work is what costs a driver his afternoon.
- About 25% of US freight trains pass through metropolitan Chicago
- Half of all US intermodal trains move through the same region
- Some Chicago facilities carry over 30,000 trucks a day
- Trucks are about one in seven vehicles on Illinois urban interstates
- Severe storms are 92 of the state's 128 billion-dollar disasters
Flexible pickup dates and a nearby meeting point usually get you a lower price.
Good to know in Illinois
The things that actually move a pickup date here.
More carriers pass through here than anywhere else on the continent
The regional planning agency puts roughly 25% of all US freight trains and 50% of all intermodal trains through metropolitan Chicago, with some facilities handling over 30,000 trucks a day. For a car shipment the consequence is supply: a carrier heading almost anywhere in the country is already passing nearby, so pickup windows out of Chicago are among the shortest you will be quoted. It is one of the few places where asking for a specific week is realistic.
The same density is what makes a driver late
Trucks are about one in seven vehicles on Illinois urban interstates, and the interchanges where I-90, I-94, I-55 and I-80 meet are among the most congested freight bottlenecks in the country. A driver who misses his window through the city does not make that time back on the next leg. Morning collections are easier to hold to than afternoon ones, and a suburban meeting point off the expressway is often quicker than a door deep inside the city.
Ninety-two of the state's worst weather events were storms
NOAA counts 128 billion-dollar weather disasters in Illinois between 1980 and 2024, of which 92 were severe storms and only 12 winter storms. The five years to 2024 averaged 7.8 such events a year against a long-run average of 2.8. Winter gets the attention here, but the record says spring and summer storm lines are what actually interrupt a shipment most often.
Sources: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning: North America's freight hub, NOAA NCEI: billion-dollar disasters, Illinois summary, FHWA: the freight economy in Chicago
Popular routes from Illinois
Popular routes to Illinois
Major cities in Illinois
Starting prices on popular routes.
Shipping services in Illinois
Car shipping companies serving Illinois
Researched companies ordered by Trustpilot rating, adjusted for review count. Not ranked by state data.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to ship a car to or from Illinois?
Car shipping is routine when you use a licensed, insured company. Check the company's USDOT or MC number, confirm its insurance, and record your car's condition at pickup.
How to ship a carHow do I choose a trustworthy car shipping company in Illinois?
Look up the company's USDOT or MC number, compare several quotes, read recent reviews, and avoid companies that ask for a large deposit before a carrier is assigned.
Avoid car shipping scamsShould I choose open or enclosed transport in Illinois?
Open transport suits most cars and is the cheapest option. Enclosed transport is worth considering for luxury, classic or exotic cars, or when the car will travel through harsh weather.
Open vs. enclosed shipping
How much does it cost to ship a car from Illinois?
Published figures put open transport from Illinois at about $240 – $660 to Indiana and $790 – $3,725 to California. Enclosed transport runs 30–60% higher in the same studies. Distance, vehicle size, season and pickup location change the price.
Car shipping cost guideHow much does car shipping cost per mile in Illinois?
Published figures for longer Illinois routes run about $0.40–$1.89 per mile for open transport and $0.52–$3.02 per mile for enclosed. Short trips cost more per mile than long ones.
Car shipping cost per mileHow much does it cost to ship a car within Illinois?
Published figures put an in-state move of about 100 miles, such as Chicago to Aurora, at $240 – $660 on an open carrier.
Illinois car shipping guide
Everything to know about shipping a car to or from Illinois: costs, routes, preparation and what to expect.
- How prices are set and how to compare quotes
- Choosing open or enclosed transport
- Getting your car ready for pickup
Where these figures come from
Published industry studies, not Haulwide shipments. Checked Sep 16, 2026.
- SGT Auto Transport(opens in a new tab)
Published Sep 9, 2026. 30 months of the company's own shipping data (January 2024 to June 2026) across all 50 states and 1,581 state-to-state lanes, limited to completed single-vehicle open transport deliveries and mix-adjusted for distance.
- Move.org(opens in a new tab)
Published Mar 4, 2026. Nearly 800 broker quotes analyzed, priced for a running 2025 Toyota Camry with a one-week lead time using October 2025 quotes.
- Kelley Blue Book(opens in a new tab)
Published Jan 12, 2026. Quotes requested from eight transport companies for a 2025 Honda Accord on three routes from Orlando, on standard open carriers.
- Direct Connect Auto Transport(opens in a new tab)
No publication date given. The company's own carrier data for an operable sedan on open transport; the page states no publication date.
- RoadRunner Auto Transport(opens in a new tab)
Published Sep 1, 2026. The company's completed shipment history, which it describes as over 1 million vehicles delivered across 30+ years, updated September 2026. Its nationwide average is $1,215 at a median distance of 987 miles and a median $1.23 per mile.
The sources disagree, so figures are shown as the span across them rather than a single price. Pricing methodology
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