What should this move cost?
Moving between New York City and Chicago costs roughly $1,700 to $5,100 with a full-service moving company, depending on the size of your home. For a two-bedroom, expect $2,850 to $3,900. Those are opening ranges. They tighten up considerably once a mover has actually seen what you own and knows the parking and building rules at both ends.
Estimated full-service prices by direction and home size
“Full service” means the moving company brings the truck and the crew, and they do the carrying. It does not automatically include packing your boxes, storage, unusually heavy items, or the extra work caused by awkward parking and difficult buildings. Those cost more unless your written estimate says otherwise, so check what is in yours rather than assuming.
| Direction | Home size | Estimated weight of belongings | Estimated price range |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City → Chicago | Studio | 1,800 lb | $1,700–$2,350 |
| New York City → Chicago | 2 bedrooms | 5,000 lb | $2,900–$3,900 |
| New York City → Chicago | 3 bedrooms | 8,000 lb | $3,700–$5,100 |
| Chicago → New York City | Studio | 1,800 lb | $1,700–$2,350 |
| Chicago → New York City | 2 bedrooms | 5,000 lb | $2,850–$3,900 |
| Chicago → New York City | 3 bedrooms | 8,000 lb | $3,700–$5,100 |
Your range should narrow once a mover has confirmed what you own, your date, the stairs, the elevators, how far the truck will sit from your door, the parking, the packing, anything unusually heavy, storage, and the delivery terms. Put your own details into the moving cost calculator first. Then if a quote comes back far from that figure, ask why — a good company will have a straight answer.
How distance and traffic affect the price
New York City → Chicago: about 794.7 driving miles and 14 hr 51 min without traffic. Chicago → New York City: about 790.4 miles and 14 hr 53 min. These estimates measure the drive between city centers. A real quote must use the two street addresses.
That drive follows the long I-80/I-90 route between the two city centers. Your mover’s actual trip depends on which roads their truck is legally allowed to use, tolls, where their warehouses are, the breaks drivers are required by law to take, and how your pickup and delivery fit their schedule.
Getting out of New York, toll-road conditions across Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, the run into Chicago, storms, and winter weather can all move the timing. Both cities also need somewhere legal for the truck to stand before the crew can start. Check 511NY and Getting Around Illinois close to your date rather than trusting any fixed estimate, including this one.
What changes the price on this route?
- Weight of the belongings, a truck reserved for your move versus sharing space, and the delivery window
- Tolls, fuel, driver time, and possible overnight handling at a mover’s warehouse
- New York and Chicago parking permission, loading areas, elevators, and transfer to a smaller truck
- Weather, construction, waiting time, storage, and the cost of a second delivery attempt
Distance drives fuel, driver hours, and truck time. But on a route this length it is rarely your biggest problem. Trouble at either end costs more: a truck that cannot get near the building, an elevator nobody reserved, nowhere legal to park, or a crew standing around waiting for keys. Every one of those is billable by the hour, and every one is avoidable if you warn the mover in advance.
Parking and building rules to check before booking
| City | What to confirm | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| New York City | New York City treats a moving truck as a commercial vehicle. The crew must use roads that allow trucks, obey the signs on the exact block, and use the curb only while actively loading or unloading. A building loading area, service elevator, required proof of insurance, or Midtown rule can be more restrictive than the citywide rules. | NYC DOT commercial-vehicle rules |
| Chicago | Chicago charges different moving-van street-parking fees inside and outside the downtown business district. Professional movers can obtain enforceable signs through the city; some ward offices also offer courtesy signs that do not allow ticketing or towing. Check building loading areas, alleys, street-cleaning dates, paid parking, and event restrictions separately. | Chicago moving-van street-parking fees |
Send every mover the same details for both addresses: truck size or height limit, where it can legally park, the walking distance from truck to door, how many stairs, the elevator size and its reserved hours, the building’s insurance requirements, and a contact name. If your block or your building is genuinely awkward, say so now. A quote built on the assumption that loading will be easy is not a quote you can rely on.
A realistic rental-truck comparison
Our calculator starts with the price of a 20-foot rental truck, then adds fuel using 8 to 12 miles per gallon and a rounded $4.25 a gallon. The figures below cover the truck and the fuel only, so you can see plainly what else you would still have to pay for.
| Direction | Estimated driving distance | Estimated truck and fuel price |
|---|---|---|
| New York City → Chicago | 795 mi | $1,600–$2,050 |
| Chicago → New York City | 790 mi | $1,250–$1,650 |
Notice that the two directions are not priced the same: a truck out of New York costs more than the same truck out of Chicago. That is not a mistake. One-way rental prices follow demand, and more people are hauling their belongings out of New York than into it, so trucks leaving the city are scarcer and more expensive. If your dates are flexible, book a one-way rental as early as you can.
Fuel prices move constantly. We use the most recent federal figure available when this was reviewed, rounded up. Before you book, check prices along your actual route and use the fuel economy of the truck you have reserved rather than our range.
Make the quote match the move
- List everything being moved. Record every room, estimated number of boxes, unusually large or heavy item, storage pickup, and item that will not move.
- Describe both addresses. Attach parking or loading permission, elevator hours, stairs, walking distances, height limits, and building insurance instructions.
- List the services included. State who packs, takes furniture apart, drives, provides materials, handles unusually heavy items, and places furniture.
- Compare the same move. Use the same belongings, direction, date, delivery window, damage-protection choice, and address details in every estimate.
- Put possible extra charges in writing. Ask how the price changes for waiting, using a smaller truck, storage, another delivery attempt, more belongings, or a missed elevator reservation.
License, contract, and protection check
This move crosses state lines, so your mover has to be federally registered. Look the company up on the FMCSA website and check that its U.S. DOT registration and its insurance are both active. If one company sells you the move and a different company actually carries your things, check both — the second one is the one holding your furniture. Before anything is loaded, make sure you have the federal rights booklet, your written estimate, the contract, the delivery terms, and your chosen protection for loss or damage, all in writing. Start with FMCSA: steps to select an interstate mover, then check every company named on your paperwork. Our questions to ask moving companies is worth reading before you pay any deposit.
Plan both ends of the route
Research sources
- Moveline internal moving calculator, 2026-07-28
- Moveline internal route records, 2025-07-29 through 2026-07-28
- Road-distance source, driving estimates between city centers refreshed 2026-07-28
- U.S. Energy Information Administration gasoline and diesel update
- 511NY and Getting Around Illinois
- NYC DOT commercial-vehicle rules
- Chicago moving-van street-parking fees
- FMCSA: steps to select an interstate mover
Research reviewed on 2026-07-28. City fees, permit timing, fuel prices, road conditions, and moving-company terms can change. Check the linked official source for the latest information.