Chicago, Illinois to Denver, Colorado
Moving from Chicago to Denver
Reviewers on this Illinois to Colorado run paid a median $5,048. It is 1,004 miles, about 18 hours of driving. 4,552 people made the Illinois to Colorado move in 2024.
Anthony BaleMoving industry professional, author and writerReviewed 23 September 2026
Drive
1,004 mi
about 18 hours at the wheel
Reviewers paid
$5,048
median, 24 priced reviews, IL to CO
Moved last year
4,552
Illinois to Colorado, 2024
Cost of living
+3.1%
Colorado vs Illinois, US = 100
Sources: OSRM on OpenStreetMap data (driving route), read 1 Oct 2026; Haulest licensed review file (MoveAdvisor), 29 Oct 2026 (reviewer-reported); US Census Bureau, ACS state-to-state migration, 2024; BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
What it costs
Chicago to Denver moving cost
On moves from Illinois to Colorado, reviewers reported a median of $5,048 across 24 priced reviews. The middle half paid $3,450 to $8,900. Those prices mix home sizes; the table below is by size.
Planning ranges for 1,000 to 2,000 miles moves, by home size, as of September 2026. Research fallback, not a first-party median and not a bid.
| Home size | Full-service range |
|---|---|
| Studio | $2,200 to $4,000 |
| 1 bedroom | $3,000 to $5,200 |
| 2 bedroom | $4,000 to $7,200 |
| 3 bedroom | $5,400 to $9,400 |
| 4+ bedroom | $7,000 to $12,000 |
Source: Haulest research bands, September 2026 (chosen by the driving distance above).
We do not print container or rental-truck prices for this lane: nobody publishes them with a source. Ask for them in writing if you are comparing.
Live numbers: US on-highway diesel $6.35 per gallon for the week of 2026-10-26 (EIA weekly US on-highway diesel via FRED GASDESW). A fuel surcharge on a long lane follows the diesel line; ask how the mover sets it.
Recent reviews
People who moved Illinois to Colorado
5 of 5 · 16 May 2025 · reported $5,980
“I appreciated the help! I was worried about three enormous antique mirrors shattering during my move. Fortunately, the movers provided extra padding and thick cardboard boxes and handled them properly, so they arrived at my house safely. I'm so grateful!”
5 of 5 · 15 Apr 2025 · reported $6,590
“I wholeheartedly recommend this company! I had to move out while dealing with a difficult personal situation, and I honestly didn’t have the energy to manage it all. Their movers handled everything so professionally that I barely had to worry about a thing. It made a tough time a little easier.…”
5 of 5 · 15 Apr 2024 · reported $4,980
“First National Van Lines are really great! Super fast, responsive and professional. They made my super stressful move out day a lot easier, more relaxed and with a great conversation. I will definitely order their services if I move again? …”
What went wrong on this run: of 24 reviews, 38% mention damage and 29% a delay or a no-show. Reviewer-reported, counted by phrase.
Loading in Chicago
A cheap Facebook number that ignores the alley is not a survey.
Chicago winter is a fee even when nobody names it. A January walk-up with ice on the rear stair is slower than the same building in June. High-rises in the Loop and along the lake want a reserved freight elevator, pads, and a COI. Permit parking and street-closure rules vary by ward.
You just bought a long carry if that alley is blocked by a garage or a city truck. A lot of two-flats load from the alley. Many North Side two-flats load from the alley, and if a garage blocks the dock, the crew walks the long way with your dresser.
Ask whether the estimate is binding and whether the 110% rule applies. Illinois ICC household-goods authority covers in-state work. This lane is interstate. FMCSA covers the rest. Check both. A cheap Facebook number that ignores the alley is not a survey.
What is the drive like?
Interstate out of Chicago is a major lane.
1,004 miles is about 18 hours at the wheel, so this is not a same-day job. Plan on several days, a dedicated truck or a shared one, and a delivery spread set on the order for service. Interstate out of Chicago is a major lane.
A North Side two-flat that loads from a blocked alley, then a spring storm on I-70, is waiting time you will pay for even if nobody named winter on the quote. I-70 closures in a spring storm delay inbound trucks from the Midwest.
Check FMCSA before a deposit leaves your account. Illinois ICC household-goods authority covers in-state work, and this lane is interstate. Ask whether the estimate is binding on a long-distance move of 1,004 miles. The delivery spread is set on the order for service.
Delivering in Denver
Thin air does not change the tariff.
Denver crews talk about altitude and ice before they talk about bedrooms. Thin air does not change the tariff. Black ice on a January stoop does. Many brick walk-ups between Colfax and 13th have no elevator and a narrow turn for a long sofa.
Downtown loading zones fill by 8am. High-rises along Speer and in LoDo want elevator pads and a COI. Ask whether the estimate includes a shuttle if the destination street cannot take the line-haul trailer. A 26-foot truck on a snow day in Capitol Hill, with no curb cut and a walk-up, is how a $1,600 job becomes overtime and a shuttle van.
Of 24 reviews on this state pair, 38% mention damage and 29% a delay. Reviewer-reported median price on this state pair (Illinois to Colorado) is $5,048 across 24 priced reviews, middle half $3,450 to $8,900. Colorado does not replace FMCSA for interstate work. Check the USDOT before a deposit leaves your account.
Leaving Chicago, arriving in Denver.
| Chicago | Denver | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living (US = 100) | 100.0 | 103.1 |
| Median home sale price | $397,500 | $610,000 |
| Median days on market | 46 | 21 |
| Months of housing supply | 2.8 | 2.9 |
| State income tax on wages | Taxes wages | Taxes wages |
Sources: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; Data provided by Redfin, a national real estate brokerage, read 1 Oct 2026; State revenue departments (wage tax, 2026).
When to go: in Illinois, the busiest month for home sales over the last year was Jun 2025 and the quietest was Jan 2026. Movers fill up on the same calendar; a mid-month weekday outside May to August is the cheaper slot. Check your date.
Source: Data provided by Redfin, a national real estate brokerage (Illinois homes sold by month).
Doing it yourself
Driving a rental truck from Chicago to Denver
1,004 road miles, about 18 hours at the wheel (2 driving days at nine hours a day). Fuel below uses this week's EIA price and the low end of each brand's mpg, because a loaded truck does worse than the brochure.
- Studio10 to 12 ft truckFuel $358 to $538gasoline
- 1 or 2 bedroom15 to 16 ft truckFuel $358 to $717gasoline
- 3 bedroom20 to 22 ft truckFuel $430 to $485gas or diesel, by brand
- 4 bedroom26 ft truckFuel $485 to $788gas or diesel, by brand
For comparison: reviewers who hired full-service movers on Illinois to Colorado paid a median $5,048 (24 priced reviews). The truck line above is fuel only: add the rental, mileage or days, coverage, equipment, tolls, a night on the road, and your time.
Sources: Brand spec pages (U-Haul, Penske, Budget) (mpg and fuel type); US EIA weekly retail prices (week of 19 Oct 2026); OSRM on OpenStreetMap data (road miles).
Ask out loud
Questions people ask
- How long is the drive from Chicago to Denver?
- Driving distance is 1,004 miles, about 18 hours at the wheel. That is not a same-day job, so plan on several days, a dedicated truck or a shared one, and a delivery spread set on the order for service.
- What do reviews report for price, damage, and delay?
- Reviewer-reported median price on this state pair (Illinois to Colorado) is $5,048 across 24 priced reviews, middle half $3,450 to $8,900. Of 24 reviews on this state pair, 38% mention damage and 29% a delay.
- How many people moved from Illinois to Colorado, and how do costs compare?
- People who moved from Illinois to Colorado in 2024: 4,552 (Census ACS, margin plus or minus 1,348). Cost of living, BEA price parity 2024 (US = 100): Illinois 100.0, Colorado 103.1.
- Does Illinois or Colorado authority cover this move?
- Illinois ICC household-goods authority covers in-state work. This lane is interstate, and Colorado does not replace FMCSA for interstate work. Check the USDOT with the [license lookup](/calculators/check-estimate#licence) before a deposit leaves your account.
- What should be ready at pickup and at delivery?
- High-rises in the Loop and along the lake want a reserved freight elevator, pads, and a COI, and Denver high-rises still want elevator pads. Ask whether the estimate is binding and whether it includes a shuttle if the destination street cannot take the line-haul trailer. Read [how to read a moving estimate](/guides/how-to-read-a-moving-estimate) before a deposit leaves your account.
Next
Keep going
- Moving to Chicago: costsLocal ranges and access at the loading end.
- Moving to Denver: costsLocal ranges and access at the delivery end.
- Movers in ChicagoEvery mover there with dated reviews.
- Movers in DenverEvery mover there with dated reviews.
- Moving in IllinoisWho regulates the move, and the top-rated movers there.
- Moving in ColoradoWho regulates the move, and the top-rated movers there.
- Long distance moversWeight, miles, and where the bill grows.
- What movers costWhat reviewers across the country reported paying.
- Truck fuel for 1,004 milesRoad miles and this week's EIA gas and diesel prices at each end.
- The 110% ruleWhat you can be made to pay on delivery day.
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About Anthony Bale
A moving industry professional, author and writer. Anthony has been at different positions in the industry for the last 10 years, gaining significant knowledge on the relocation process. He himself has moved 6 times already, which helped him explore the other side of the moving process.
At Haulest he writes the US cost, hiring, and rights pages, reading the licensed review file every week so the numbers on the page are the numbers people reported.
Call for a written Chicago to Denver quote
From, then To. Date and home size after that. A person on the phone is faster if you already know the dates.
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