Car shipping from Phoenix, AZ to Chicago, IL
Phoenix, AZ to Chicago, IL is a common relocation route: people moving for work, school or family often fly ahead and have the car shipped. Post the trip once and verified carriers and brokers send written quotes to your private dashboard, with no phone calls unless you ask for one.
- Distance
- About 1,700 miles (2,750 km)
- Typical transit
- 4–7 days after pickup
- Usual route
- I-17 and I-40 east, then I-44 and I-55
- Border
- No border crossing
Distance is our estimate from the two city centres. Transit times are typical ranges, not promises; each company writes its own in its quote.
About this route
Once your car is on the truck, a trip of this length typically takes about 4–7 days. Before that comes the pickup window: carriers combine several cars into one load, so pickup is usually within a few days of your first available date, sooner if your dates are flexible. Every quote states the company's own pickup window and transit time, so you can compare them side by side.
Phoenix, AZ: Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale and Tucson are the main winter homes for snowbirds from the Prairies, British Columbia, the Midwest and the Pacific Northwest, so southbound demand climbs from October and northbound demand from March.
Chicago, IL: Chicago is the rail and highway crossroads of the Midwest, so carriers going coast to coast often route through it.
Main highways in Illinois: I-90, I-94, I-55, I-57, I-80 and I-88. In busy downtown areas, carriers often ask to meet at a wide street or parking lot nearby, since a full car carrier is about 75 feet (23 m) long.
When to ship from Phoenix, AZ to Chicago, IL
Winter weather
Winters in Illinois bring snow and road salt, roughly December to March. Carriers keep running, but a storm can push pickup or delivery by a day or two. A car on an open carrier will arrive salty, so plan a wash.
Summer heat
Summer in Arizona regularly passes 110°F (43°C). Early-morning pickups and drop-offs are easier on people and batteries.
Peak moving season
June to August is the busiest moving season in North America: school-year moves, new jobs and military transfers all land in summer. Posting early gives you more quotes and more choice of dates.
Open or enclosed on this route?
Most cars on this route travel on open carriers, the multi-car trucks you see on every highway. It's the most common choice and the one most carriers on this lane run.
Over a trip of about 1,700 miles (2,750 km), an open car picks up road grime and, in winter, salt spray. An enclosed trailer keeps it clean and covered the whole way.
Strong sun at the desert end of the trip is another reason owners of classic and dark-painted cars choose enclosed.
For classic, exotic, lowered or brand-new cars, ask for enclosed quotes too: you can say in your notes that you'd like both and compare them side by side.
Moving to Illinois for good?
Once the car arrives, register it with the Illinois Secretary of State. Ask what it needs for a vehicle registered somewhere else (often a VIN check, an inspection or an emissions test) before your old plates or insurance run out.
How it works here
Same three steps on every route, and nobody gets your phone number unless you book them.
Post once
Vehicle, pickup and delivery cities, first available date, open or enclosed, and a few photos. About two minutes, free.
Verified companies quote in writing
Checked carriers and brokers (USDOT/MC or NSC/CVOR plus insurance) send a written price, pickup window and transit time to your private dashboard.
No spam calls
Message companies in-app. Your name, phone and street address go only to the company you book.
Questions about this route
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Ship your car from Phoenix, AZ to Chicago, IL
Post once in about two minutes. Verified companies answer in writing; your phone stays private.