Movers in Illinois

Moving in or out of Illinois? Understand what your move should cost, how to tell an in-state move from a state-to-state one, and get quotes from moving professionals covering 1,288 Illinois cities and towns.

How moving works in Illinois

Illinois has an estimated 12,549,689 residents (US Census Bureau, 2023) spread across the 1,288 cities and towns we cover. 8 of them have 100,000 people or more and 78 are mid-sized places between 25,000 and 100,000, with Chicago the largest at 2,664,452, about 21.2% of everyone in the state. With no single dominant metro, moves here are often served by regional crews. Ask each company how it charges for travel from its yard, since practices vary.

Moving costs in Illinois

What you pay comes down to four things: how much you’re moving, how far it’s going, how much packing you want done for you, and when you move. Moves that stay inside Illinois are usually priced by the hour with a crew and truck; moves that cross the Illinois line are priced on the weight of your shipment and the distance travelled.

Summer weekends and the first and last days of the month are the busiest and most expensive times to move anywhere in Illinois. A midweek date outside those windows is the single easiest way to lower your quote.

Where most Illinois moves start

These are the largest cities we cover in Illinois, with US Census Bureau 2023 population estimates. Crews are easiest to book, and priced most competitively, where volume is highest.

Chicago, pop. 2,664,452
Aurora, pop. 177,563
Joliet, pop. 150,489
Naperville, pop. 150,245
Rockford, pop. 146,120
Elgin, pop. 113,310
Springfield, pop. 112,544
Peoria, pop. 110,460

In-state or state-to-state?

If both addresses are inside Illinois, you need in-state movers. If you’re crossing a state line, you need an interstate carrier with a USDOT number. Ask for a written estimate either way, and check that the estimate lists services rather than just a total.