Chicago, IL car shipping
Car Shipping in Chicago, IL
- Estimates clearly labeled
- Independent company rankings
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$390 – $2,135
Typical price
Sedan, open transport
1–4 days
Transit time
Most major cities
Los Angeles, Indianapolis
Top destinations
$240 – $660
Trips within Illinois
Published range for an in-state trip
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About car shipping in Chicago
Chicago is where the country's east-west and north-south freight crosses, which is the single most useful thing to know about shipping a car here. Trucks are always passing through, so lanes out of Chicago fill quickly and price competitively in almost every direction. Winter is the other half of the story, and it changes what you should be booking rather than just when.
- Long-haul traffic crosses here in every direction, so lanes fill fast
- Road salt from December to March drives real demand for enclosed
- Permit-parking blocks and low viaducts limit door access
- I-294 lets carriers skip the city entirely on a through run
- Main highways
- I-90, I-94, I-55
- Typical transit
- 1–4 days
- In-state trips
- $240 – $660
Car shipping rates from Chicago
Estimated from published industry figures for a standard car. Your quote depends on season, vehicle and exact addresses.
| Destination | Distance | Open transport | Enclosed transport | Transit time | Route page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA | 2,090 mi | $775 – $3,950 | $1,005 – $6,320 | 5–9 days | Illinois to California |
| Indianapolis, IN | 200 mi | $240 – $660 | $290 – $1,055 | 1–2 days | Illinois to Indiana |
| Houston, TX | 1,130 mi | $790 – $2,135 | $1,030 – $3,415 | 3–5 days | Illinois to Texas |
| Jacksonville, FL | 1,040 mi | $730 – $1,965 | $945 – $3,145 | 3–5 days | Illinois to Florida |
| Kansas City, MO | 490 mi | $390 – $1,080 | $475 – $1,725 | 1–2 days | Illinois to Missouri |
| New York City, NY | 850 mi | $620 – $1,605 | $795 – $2,570 | 2–4 days | Illinois to New York |
Winter weather affects pickup, not just price
No source publishes monthly prices by city, 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
Transit times from Chicago
Typical days on the road after pickup.
- Indianapolis, IN · 200 mi1–2 days
- Des Moines, IA · 370 mi1–2 days
- Kansas City, MO · 490 mi1–2 days
- Atlanta, GA · 710 mi2–3 days
- Charlotte, NC · 710 mi2–3 days
- New York City, NY · 850 mi2–4 days
- Jacksonville, FL · 1,040 mi3–5 days
Popular routes from Chicago
Car shipping companies serving Chicago
Researched companies ordered by Trustpilot rating, adjusted for review count. Not ranked by city data.
Pickup areas around Chicago
Where trucks reach easily, and where a meeting point helps.
- Naperville, Schaumburg, Oak BrookRight off I-88 and I-290 with room to load. The easiest pickups in the metro.
- North Side (Lakeview, Logan Square, Lincoln Park)Permit parking and narrow streets; expect to meet nearby.
- South Side and southwest suburbsClose to I-55, I-57 and I-94, and used to truck traffic.
- Near O'HareCarrier terminals and hotel lots make a convenient handover point.
Good to know in Chicago
- Being a crossroads is why quotes here are competitiveA truck running Los Angeles to New York, or Texas to Minnesota, very likely passes through Chicago. That means your car is often filling a slot on a load that was going anyway, and it is the reason a Chicago lane usually beats a similar-distance lane out of a city off the main corridors.
- Salt is the reason people pay for enclosed hereIllinois salts heavily from December through March, and an open carrier puts your car in that spray for the whole trip. For an ordinary daily driver it washes off. For anything with original paint, a restored car or a fresh undercarriage, the enclosed premium in winter is the one time it clearly earns itself.
- Winter access, not just winter weatherSnow routes, permit parking and plowed-in side streets do more to stop a pickup in January than the snow itself. Bungalow blocks on the North and Northwest Sides are the usual sticking point, and a nearby commercial lot solves it in ten minutes.
- Low viaducts are a real routing constraintOlder underpasses across the city are posted well under the clearance a loaded car carrier needs. Drivers route around them, which is why a truck may ask to meet you a few blocks off your street rather than come down it.
- Moving to ChicagoIf you're moving from another state, you'll generally need to register your vehicle in Illinois. Check Illinois's motor vehicle agency for deadlines and inspection rules.
Other Illinois cities
Starting prices on popular routes.
Helpful guides for Chicago
Why ship from Chicago?
- Carriers already serving Illinois
- Door-to-door pickup where trucks can reach
- Open and enclosed transport options
- Published price ranges you can compare before booking
- Common for relocations, students, military moves and car purchases
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to ship a car from Chicago?
Published figures put a standard car on an open carrier at about $390 – $2,135 from Chicago to other major cities, depending on distance, season and vehicle. Shorter trips, such as to Indianapolis, run about $240 – $660.
Car shipping cost calculatorHow long does it take to ship a car from Chicago?
About 1–2 days to Indianapolis and 5–9 days to Los Angeles, plus the pickup window before the car is loaded.
How long car shipping takesCan the truck pick up at my home in Chicago?
Often, yes. On narrow, busy or restricted streets, the driver may ask to meet at a nearby open lot where a full-size carrier can load safely.
Door-to-door car shipping
Should I ship open or enclosed from Chicago?
Open transport suits most everyday cars and costs less. Consider enclosed for luxury, classic or exotic cars, or anything with fresh paint.
Open vs. enclosed shippingIs my car insured when shipping from Chicago?
Licensed carriers must carry liability insurance, and most carry cargo coverage for the cars they haul. Ask for the certificate of insurance before pickup.
Car shipping insuranceWhat's the cheapest way to ship a car from Chicago?
Choose open transport, be flexible with dates, book one to three weeks ahead and meet the truck near a main highway if your street is hard to reach.
Cheapest way to ship a car
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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