Illinois to California
Moving from Illinois to California
Reviewers who moved from Illinois to California paid a median $4,000. 19,953 people made the move in 2024, and 15,128 went the other way. Chicago to Los Angeles, the most common run in our file, is 2,018 miles.
Anthony BaleMoving industry professional, author and writerReviewed 23 September 2026
Reviewers paid
$4,000
median, 59 priced reviews
Moved last year
19,953
IL to CA, 2024
Typical drive
2,018 mi
Chicago to Los Angeles
Cost of living
+10.8%
CA vs IL, US = 100
Sources: Haulest licensed review file (MoveAdvisor), 3 Nov 2026 (reviewer-reported); US Census Bureau, ACS state-to-state migration, 2024; OSRM on OpenStreetMap data (driving route); BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Try another route
Now tap where you are moving to.
Illinois to California · median paid
$4,000
59 reviewed moves
2,018 road miles
Median and middle half of what 59 reviewers paid on this lane. A mover's written estimate is what counts.
What it costs
Illinois to California moving cost
Across 59 priced reviews of moves from Illinois to California, the median was $4,000 and the middle half paid $3,000 to $5,900. Home sizes and distances are mixed; the table below is by size.
Planning ranges for 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 | $2,800 to $5,000 |
| 1 bedroom | $3,600 to $6,400 |
| 2 bedroom | $4,800 to $8,600 |
| 3 bedroom | $6,400 to $11,200 |
| 4+ bedroom | $8,200 to $14,500 |
Source: Haulest research bands, September 2026 (band set by the Chicago to Los Angeles drive).
Live numbers: US on-highway diesel $6.29 per gallon for the week of 2026-11-02 (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.
From the review file
Movers with reviews on the Illinois to California run
How this list was made. Every mover here has at least two reviews in our file for a move from Illinois to California. Sorted by how many matching reviews each mover has, not by rating. Corpus as of 3 Nov 2026. Not a ranking and not a recommendation.
| Mover | Based | Record | Matching reviews | All reviews | Median reported, this run | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boyer-Rosene Moving & Storage, Inc. | Arlington Heights, IL | No FMCSA matchUSDOT 76029 | 4 | 124.0 mean, dated | $15,232 | 10 Dec 2025 |
| Pro Smart Movers | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | No FMCSA matchUSDOT 3682451 | 2 | 504.0 mean, dated | $4,900 | 28 May 2024 |
| Elite Moving & Storage Inc. | Skokie, IL | CarrierUSDOT 1567283 | 2 | 452.0 mean, dated | $5,500 | 6 Dec 2019 |
| David and Goliath Moving | Norcross, GA | No FMCSA matchUSDOT 2568518 | 2 | 402.0 mean, dated | $4,000 | 18 Sept 2017 |
| Touch of Class Movers | Las Vegas, NV | No FMCSA match | 2 | 171.0 mean, dated | $12,000 | 7 Jun 2018 |
| Quality Move | Chicago, IL | No FMCSA matchUSDOT 1564772 | 2 | 41.0 mean, dated | $2,433 | 29 May 2012 |
Sources: Haulest licensed review file (MoveAdvisor), 3 Nov 2026; FMCSA Licensing and Insurance, household-goods authority (record column).
Recent reviews
People who moved Illinois to California
5 of 5 · 31 Jan 2026 · reported $3,960
“My best move ever, no exaggeration! I was so nervous and stressed about moving (as one does), but they calmed me down, were very polite and assuring. They packed everything very carefully, neatly and quick, everything so smooth, just perfect! I will definitely recommend them!”
1 of 5 · 28 Jan 2026 · reported $50,000
“The worst moving experience I have ever had (and I have had many): The list of failures is staggering: Items were broken, scratched, crushed, or smashed. Boxes were mislabeled to the point of being meaningless. Parts are missing from furniture and other belongings. Multiple lamps and shelves cannot…”
1 of 5 · 10 Dec 2025 · reported $21,000
“We had 4 items broken in transit using Boyer-Rosene totaling nearly $3800, all of which were denied coverage sans a $400 printer for which we have still not been reimbursed. We paid them $1,300 for $150k insurance coverage with $0 deductible which was a worthless endeavor.”
What went wrong on this run: of 59 reviews, 36% mention damage and 22% a delay or a no-show. Reviewer-reported, counted by phrase.
Who makes this move
ACS 2024 puts 19,953 people moving Illinois to California, with a margin of plus or minus 5,236.
Census counts both ways. ACS 2024 puts 19,953 people moving Illinois to California, with a margin of plus or minus 5,236. The reverse count is 15,128 people moving California to Illinois in the same release. The two figures describe volume only. They do not rank reasons, jobs, or family ties.
Price level and wage tax. BEA price parity for 2024 sets the US at 100. Illinois sits at 100.0 and California at 110.7, so the same basket costs more at the California end of this pair. Both states tax wages. This page does not quote a rate for either one.
What the job looks like
Prices mix home sizes and distances, so treat a lone low figure as a different house, not a coupon.
The usual run. The most common trip in our file is Chicago to Los Angeles, 2,018 miles and about 35 hours of driving. That hour figure is driving time, not a booked number of calendar days. A long-distance move on this pair is still priced by shipment weight and miles, then given a delivery window on the order for service.
What the reviews report. Our file has 59 reviews for this run. The median reported price is $4,000 across 59 priced reviews, with the middle half from $3,000 to $5,900. Prices mix home sizes and distances, so treat a lone low figure as a different house, not a coupon. 36% of those reviews mention damage, and 22% mention a delay or a no-show.
Before you book
On a non-binding estimate the mover must deliver once you pay 110 percent of the estimate.
License before price. Interstate household moves need a mover with an active USDOT number and FMCSA household-goods authority. Look the number up before you compare quotes. Haulest is a desk for the numbers, not a carrier, so the license check sits with the mover you hire.
Estimate type and the 110 percent rule. Ask whether the estimate is binding or not to exceed, and read the line items the way our estimate guide lays out. On a non-binding estimate the mover must deliver once you pay 110 percent of the estimate. Get the delivery window in writing on the order for service.
Deposit terms in writing. Put the deposit amount, what it applies to, and the refund terms on the same paperwork as the estimate. Our deposit note is a checklist for those lines. A delivery window that lives only in a text thread is a weak record if the truck is late.
Leaving Illinois, arriving in California.
| Illinois | California | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living (US = 100) | 100.0 | 110.7 |
| Median home sale price | $337,900 | $887,400 |
| Median days on market | 43 | 33 |
| State income tax on wages | Taxes wages | Taxes wages |
| People who moved in 2024 | 15,128 arrived from California | 19,953 arrived from Illinois |
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); US Census Bureau, ACS, 2024.
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. 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 Illinois to California
2,018 road miles, about 35 hours at the wheel (4 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 $718 to $1,077gasoline
- 1 or 2 bedroom15 to 16 ft truckFuel $718 to $1,436gasoline
- 3 bedroom20 to 22 ft truckFuel $861 to $986gas or diesel, by brand
- 4 bedroom26 ft truckFuel $986 to $1,602gas or diesel, by brand
For comparison: reviewers who hired full-service movers on Illinois to California moves paid a median $4,000 (59 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 26 Oct 2026); OSRM on OpenStreetMap data (road miles).
Ask out loud
Questions people ask
- How far is the usual Illinois to California run?
- The most common run in our file is Chicago to Los Angeles, 2,018 miles. Driving time in that file is about 35 hours. That is road time, not a guaranteed count of days on the truck.
- What prices show up in reviews for this lane?
- Across 59 priced reviews, the median reported price is $4,000. The middle half of those prices runs from $3,000 to $5,900. Those figures mix home sizes and distances.
- How often do reviews mention damage or a delay?
- Of 59 reviews, 36% mention damage and 22% mention a delay or a no-show. Those shares describe this run in our file, and they mix many shipment sizes.
- What license should the mover hold?
- An interstate household move needs a mover with an active USDOT number and FMCSA household-goods authority. Check that number before you pay a deposit.
- How does the 110 percent rule work on a non-binding estimate?
- On a non-binding estimate, the mover must deliver when you pay 110 percent of the estimate. Ask if your paperwork is binding, not to exceed, or non-binding. Keep the delivery window in writing on the order for service.
Next
Keep going
- California to IllinoisThe same run the other way.
- Moving in IllinoisWho regulates the move, and the top-rated movers there.
- Moving in CaliforniaWho regulates the move, and the top-rated movers there.
- Long distance moversWeight, miles, and where the bill grows.
- What movers costNational medians by year and lane.
- The 110% ruleWhat you can be made to pay on delivery day.
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 Illinois to California quote
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Haulest is a research desk and quote line. We are not a carrier.