Illinois to Colorado
Moving from Illinois to Colorado
Reviewers who moved from Illinois to Colorado paid a median $5,048. 4,552 people made the move in 2024, and 3,917 went the other way. Chicago to Denver, the most common run in our file, is 1,004 miles.
Anthony BaleMoving industry professional, author and writerReviewed 23 September 2026
Reviewers paid
$5,048
median, 24 priced reviews
Moved last year
4,552
IL to CO, 2024
Typical drive
1,004 mi
Chicago to Denver
Cost of living
+3.1%
CO vs IL, US = 100
Sources: Haulest licensed review file (MoveAdvisor), 29 Oct 2026 (reviewer-reported); US Census Bureau, ACS state-to-state migration, 2024; OSRM on OpenStreetMap data (driving route); BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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Illinois to Colorado · median paid
$5,048
24 reviewed moves
1,004 road miles
Median and middle half of what 24 reviewers paid on this lane. A mover's written estimate is what counts.
What it costs
Illinois to Colorado moving cost
Across 24 priced reviews of moves from Illinois to Colorado, the median was $5,048 and the middle half paid $3,450 to $8,900. Home sizes and distances are mixed; 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 (band set by the Chicago to Denver drive).
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.
Who makes this move
Nothing here is a rate, and nothing here is a reason someone packed a truck.
Census puts the traffic both ways. In the 2024 ACS, 4,552 people moved from Illinois to Colorado, with a margin of plus or minus 1,348. The reverse count was 3,917. That is the size of the exchange the Census recorded, and it is all the file says about who went.
Wage tax applies at both ends. BEA price parity for 2024 sets the US at 100. Illinois reads 100.0 and Colorado reads 103.1. Illinois taxes wages. Colorado taxes wages. Those two facts are the cost notes this page can stand on. Nothing here is a rate, and nothing here is a reason someone packed a truck.
What the job looks like
Delivery is a window set on the order for service.
The usual run is Chicago to Denver. In our file that pair is the most common, at 1,004 miles and about 18 hours of driving. A long-distance move is priced by weight and miles. Delivery is a window set on the order for service. The hours behind the wheel are not the arrival date.
The review file for this lane is small. We have 24 reviews in this run. The median reported price is $5,048 across 24 priced reviews, and the middle half runs $3,450 to $8,900. Those prices mix home sizes and distances. 38% of the reviews mention damage, and 29% mention a delay or a no-show.
Before you book
A handshake is not a delivery window.
Check the USDOT number and the authority. An interstate household move needs a mover with an active USDOT number and FMCSA household-goods authority. You can run that check in the licence lookup. Haulest is not a carrier and does not book the truck. Verify that number before any money moves.
Get the estimate type and the window in writing. Ask for a binding or not-to-exceed estimate. On a non-binding estimate the mover must deliver on payment of 110 percent of the estimate. That rule is spelled out in the 110 percent rule. The delivery window belongs on the order for service.
Write the deposit terms down before you send money. Read what is refundable, when it is due, and what happens if the load date moves, in the deposit guide. Put the delivery window on the order for service before you pay anything. A handshake is not a delivery window.
Leaving Illinois, arriving in Colorado.
| Illinois | Colorado | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living (US = 100) | 100.0 | 103.1 |
| Median home sale price | $337,900 | $617,000 |
| Median days on market | 43 | 35 |
| State income tax on wages | Taxes wages | Taxes wages |
| People who moved in 2024 | 3,917 arrived from Colorado | 4,552 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 Colorado
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 moves 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 many people moved from Illinois to Colorado?
- Census ACS 2024 counts 4,552 people moving from Illinois to Colorado, with a margin of plus or minus 1,348. The reverse move, Colorado to Illinois, was 3,917. The counts are the record of the move, and they do not say why.
- Do Illinois and Colorado tax wages?
- Illinois taxes wages, and Colorado taxes wages. This page does not give rates. BEA price parity for 2024, with the US at 100, is 100.0 in Illinois and 103.1 in Colorado.
- How far is the most common run?
- The most common run in our file is Chicago to Denver, at 1,004 miles and about 18 hours of driving. Hours of driving are not the delivery window. The window is set on the order for service.
- What do the reviews report for price, damage, and delays?
- The median reported price is $5,048 across 24 priced reviews, with the middle half from $3,450 to $8,900. Prices mix home sizes and distances. 38% of the reviews mention damage, and 29% mention a delay or a no-show.
- What should I have in writing before I book?
- Confirm an active USDOT number and FMCSA household-goods authority, and ask for a binding or not-to-exceed estimate. On a non-binding estimate the mover must deliver once you pay 110 percent of the estimate. The delivery window and the deposit terms belong in the paperwork, not in a verbal aside.
Next
Keep going
- Colorado to IllinoisThe same run the other way.
- 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 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 Colorado 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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Haulest is a research desk and quote line. We are not a carrier.