Chicago, Illinois Moving Costs
What a move actually costs in Chicago, Illinois — local hourly rates, long distance ranges and the figures behind them.
In short
A local move in Chicago is billed by the hour: a two-bedroom home with two movers runs $475 – $775 in our model. Across the 102 routes we price from Chicago, the median is about 807 miles, which puts a two-bedroom move at $3,632 – $4,842. About 82,951 people a year move to Cook County from other states (Census).
Who moves to and from Cook County
Chicago sits in Cook County, IL, home to about 5,107,962 people aged one and over. In the Census Bureau's 2016–2020 American Community Survey, about 82,951 (±3,392) people a year moved into the county from another state, about 34,806 (±2,473) from abroad and about 44,784 (±2,474) from elsewhere in Illinois. Going the other way, the county-to-county estimates add up to roughly 129,395 a year leaving for another state.
| To | People a year | From Chicago | 2-bedroom move |
|---|---|---|---|
| DuPage County, ILAddison moving costs | 21,050 ±1,662 | ≈ 23 mi to Addison | $475 – $775 |
| Will County, ILLockport moving costs | 12,267 ±1,138 | ≈ 33 mi to Lockport | $475 – $775 |
| Lake County, ILGrayslake moving costs | 11,414 ±1,215 | ≈ 45 mi to Grayslake | $475 – $775 |
| Lake County, INEast Chicago moving costs | 9,145 ±1,341 | ≈ 21 mi to East Chicago | $475 – $775 |
| Kane County, ILGeneva moving costs | 8,885 ±1,239 | ≈ 42 mi to Geneva | $475 – $775 |
The largest groups of newcomers come from DuPage County, IL (about 13,206), Lake County, IL (about 6,678) and Will County, IL (about 6,454). Across state lines, the largest flows out go to Indiana (about 15,787), California (about 13,278) and Florida (about 9,643); the largest flows in come from Indiana (about 9,158), California (about 8,628) and Florida (about 4,990).
US Census Bureau, ACS 2016–2020 county-to-county migration flows; people a year with a 90% margin of error. Miles are estimated from city coordinates; move prices are full-service, transport only, from the published model.
Popular Moving Routes from Chicago
Nearest first. See all 102 routes from Chicago with transit times, costs by home size and licensed movers.
Long Distance Routes
An hourly quote is the crew rate multiplied by how long the job takes, so access is what really moves the number: a long carry, stairs without an elevator, a street the truck cannot park on, or packing left until the morning. We cover each of those, and the surcharges to watch for, in how much movers cost.
Chicago Moving Cost Guide
Moving costs in Chicago, Illinois vary based on location, building type, and services required:
Average Chicago Moving Costs:
Local moves (billed by the hour)
- Studio2 movers · 2–3 hrs$235 – $375
- 1 bedroom2 movers · 3–5 hrs$315 – $575
- 2 bedrooms2 movers · 5–7 hrs$475 – $775
- 3 bedrooms3 movers · 6–9 hrs$795 – $1,425
- 4+ bedrooms4 movers · 8–10 hrs$1,355 – $2,075
Based on $40–$50 per mover per hour plus a $75 travel fee.
Long distance from Chicago
- 1 bedroom$3,268 – $4,358
- 2 bedrooms$3,632 – $4,842
- 3 bedrooms$4,176 – $5,568
- 4+ bedrooms$4,721 – $6,295
Priced at 807 miles, the typical corridor we track from Chicago.
Chicago moving cost questions
How much do movers cost in Chicago?
A local move inside Chicago is billed by the hour. Full-service crews run about $40 to $50 per mover per hour, plus a travel fee of around $75 to get the truck to you and back. A studio needs roughly 2 to 3 hours with a crew of 2, which works out to $235 – $375. A three bedroom home takes a crew of 3 some 6 to 9 hours, or $795 – $1,425.
What does a long distance move from Chicago cost?
Once you leave the local band, movers price on distance and weight rather than hours. Across the 102 routes we track from Chicago, a typical corridor is around 807 miles, which puts a two bedroom move at $3,632 – $4,842 and a three bedroom at $4,176 – $5,568. Run your exact destination through the calculator for a closer figure.
Which routes out of Chicago do you publish prices for?
We publish a priced route page for 102 destinations from Chicago, 2 of them inside Illinois. The longest are Chicago to San Diego, CA at 2,146 miles, around $9,657 – $12,876 for a two bedroom home; Chicago to San Jose, CA at 2,143 miles, around $9,644 – $12,858 for a two bedroom home; Chicago to Fremont, CA at 2,142 miles, around $9,639 – $12,852 for a two bedroom home. Each has its own page with the full cost table.
How much does it cost to move from Chicago to a nearby city?
The closest city we publish costs for is Milwaukee, about 95 miles away by road. That is inside the local band, so it is still billed by the hour rather than by distance — roughly $475 – $775 for a two bedroom home. Other nearby cities we cover include Madison (142 mi), Grand Rapids (146 mi), Peoria (152 mi).
Does My Fast Movers carry out moves in Chicago?
No. We do not own trucks, employ crews or take payment to rank one company above another. This page exists so you can see what a Chicago move should cost before you call anyone, then judge the quotes you are given against it.
Moving between Chicago and nearby cities
The closest places we publish costs for, ranked by road distance from Chicago. Anything inside the local band is billed by the hour; past it, movers switch to distance and weight.
| City | Distance | Billed as | 2-bedroom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukeeout of state | ~95 mi | Hourly | $475 – $775 |
| Madisonout of state | ~142 mi | Distance | $639 – $852 |
| Grand Rapidsout of state | ~146 mi | Distance | $657 – $876 |
| Peoria | ~152 mi | Distance | $684 – $912 |
| Fort Wayneout of state | ~163 mi | Distance | $734 – $978 |
| Indianapolisout of state | ~192 mi | Distance | $864 – $1,152 |
Distances are estimated from city coordinates, not measured on a specific route, so treat them as approximate. Our route pages from Chicago add transit times, licensed movers and the reverse direction.
All Illinois cities we price
We are not a moving company. No carrier pays to appear on this page, and these figures come from a published model rather than from quotes we were handed. Treat the range as a sanity check, then get three written estimates. How we calculate them →