Driving from California to Chicago and Illinois by Car
California to Illinois is about 1,850 to 2,150 miles and 27 to 34 hours of driving. Driving it yourself takes about 3 days. A professional driver from Cross Country Driver does it in about 2 days, door to door, for $1,475 to $2,300 base plus fuel and tolls at actual cost.
How long is the drive from California to Illinois?
About 27 to 34 hours behind the wheel, which is 3 days if you drive it yourself and about 2 days with our drivers.
| Who drives | Distance | Driving time | Days on the road |
|---|---|---|---|
| You, in your own car | About 1,850 to 2,150 miles | 27 to 34 hours | 3 days |
| Cross Country Driver | About 1,850 to 2,150 miles | 27 to 34 hours | About 2 days |
How many hours is it from California to Illinois by car?
About 27 to 34 hours of driving, not counting stops. Los Angeles to Chicago is about 30 to 32 hours behind the wheel.
How far is it from California to Illinois?
About 2,015 miles from Los Angeles to Chicago, 2,080 from San Diego and 2,130 from San Francisco. Central Illinois is closer: Los Angeles to Springfield is about 1,840.
California to Illinois: city-to-city miles and prices
Typical base prices for a professional driver between the largest cities in California and Illinois. These are ranges, not quotes; fuel and tolls are added at actual cost, and the same prices apply in the other direction.
| Route | Distance | Our delivery | Base price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles ↔ Springfield, IL | ~1,840 mi | ~2 days | $1,475–$2,050 |
| Los Angeles ↔ Chicago | ~2,015 mi | ~2 days | $1,550–$2,225 |
| Sacramento ↔ Chicago | ~2,045 mi | ~2 days | $1,575–$2,250 |
| San Diego ↔ Chicago | ~2,080 mi | ~2 days | $1,600–$2,275 |
| San Francisco ↔ Chicago | ~2,130 mi | 2–2.5 days | $1,625–$2,300 |
| San Jose ↔ Naperville | ~2,140 mi | 2–2.5 days | $1,625–$2,300 |
Your exact price depends on the pickup and delivery addresses and the date. A pickup or delivery far from a major airport costs a little more, because the driver’s trip there and home takes longer.
Can you drive from California to Illinois?
Yes. The right route depends on where you start and finish and on the month.
I-40, I-44 and I-55: the Route 66 corridor from Southern California
Historic Route 66 ran from Chicago to Santa Monica, and the modern trip follows it: I-15 to Barstow, I-40 through Flagstaff, Albuquerque and Amarillo to Oklahoma City, I-44 to St. Louis, then I-55 north through Springfield to Chicago.
I-80: from Northern California
From the Bay Area or Sacramento, I-80 is one road the whole way: over Donner Pass to Reno, across Nevada, Salt Lake City, Wyoming, Nebraska and Iowa to the Quad Cities and Chicago.
Weather and seasons
Winter is the deciding factor. I-80 has chain controls over the Sierra and wind and snow across Wyoming; I-40 climbs to about 7,000 feet near Flagstaff and gets winter storms too. Chicago winters add snow at the end of the trip. Summer brings desert heat in the west and thunderstorms on the plains.
What the road is like
Wide open across the desert, the high plains and the Great Plains, with long stretches between services in Nevada, Wyoming and New Mexico. St. Louis and Chicago are the traffic at the eastern end.
Tolls
On the southern route, the Oklahoma turnpikes on I-44 (the Will Rogers and Turner Turnpikes) and the Illinois Tollway around Chicago. On I-80, almost none until the Chicago area. Most Illinois tolls bill by plate or I-PASS/E-ZPass. Heading west, California inspects cars for fruit and plants at the border.
California to Illinois car shipping vs. hiring a driver
Driving yourself: roughly $300 to $425 in fuel and tolls (rough estimate, November 2026), hotels and meals for 3 days on the road, and the days off work.
Shipping by carrier: quoted at about $1,190 to $1,700 between California cities and Chicago (MoveBuddha city-pair estimates, checked November 2026). These are third-party figures, not our prices. Expect pickup and delivery windows of several days each, and carriers usually limit or ban personal items in the car. Shipping is usually cheaper and slower.
Hiring our driver: $1,475 to $2,300 base plus fuel and tolls at actual cost, delivered in about 2 days, with a reasonable amount of personal items inside. Your car is never loaded onto a carrier, and it arrives on the delivery date planned with you.
Who hires a driver for California to Illinois
California and Chicago trade people in both directions all year: job transfers, students heading to Northwestern, the University of Chicago and the U of I, families and military moves. We see trips both ways in roughly equal numbers.
We drive U-Haul, Penske and Budget trucks on this route too. See driving a U-Haul cross country, or get a U-Haul/Truck Quote.
How our California to Illinois service works
We pick up anywhere in California, from San Diego and Los Angeles to the Bay Area and Sacramento, and deliver anywhere in Illinois: Chicago and its suburbs, Naperville, Aurora, Joliet, Rockford, Peoria, Bloomington-Normal, Champaign-Urbana and Springfield. Your driver inspects and photographs the car at pickup, drives about 1,000 miles a day with the trip GPS-monitored by our office, and walks the car with you at delivery.
One professional driver drives your car the whole way, never handed off. Our drivers are ex-long-haul truckers and former police officers, vetted with criminal, driving-record, drug and reference checks.
What the price includes
Your base price includes your driver’s travel home, usually a flight, and towing if you need a trailer or a second vehicle behind the one we drive. We give you a fuel and toll estimate up front; fuel and tolls are then charged at actual cost, with receipts. A deposit is due before pickup, and the rest after delivery. Cash or check is fine.
A typical schedule
- Day 1: Los Angeles to Amarillo, about 1,075 miles, through Flagstaff and Albuquerque.
- Day 2: Amarillo to Chicago, about 940 miles, through Oklahoma City, Tulsa and St. Louis.
The exact stops move with weather and traffic, and the driver rests properly each night: we do not run drivers through the night. Your driver will call you about eight hours before delivery.
If you drive it yourself
- Check Caltrans and Wyoming road reports before taking I-80 between November and April.
- Fuel stops are far apart in Nevada, Wyoming and New Mexico; refill at half a tank.
- Bring an E-ZPass or I-PASS, or set up toll-by-plate, for Oklahoma and Illinois.
- Plan to reach Chicago outside rush hour.
- Carry water and watch the engine temperature in the desert in summer.
- Check tires, fluids, lights and brakes before you leave.
California to Illinois questions
How many days does it take to drive from California to Chicago?
About 3 days if you drive it yourself. A professional driver does it in about 2 days: Los Angeles to Chicago is about 2,015 miles and 30 to 32 hours of driving.
What is the best route from California to Chicago?
From Southern California, I-40 to I-44 and I-55, the old Route 66 corridor. From Northern California, I-80 the whole way, except in winter storms over the Sierra and Wyoming.
How much does it cost to have someone drive my car from California to Illinois?
$1,475 to $2,300 base with Cross Country Driver, plus fuel and tolls at actual cost. Los Angeles to Chicago is typically $1,550 to $2,225.
Is it cheaper to ship a car from California to Chicago?
Usually, yes. Carrier shipping is quoted at about $1,190 to $1,700 between California cities and Chicago (third-party estimates, not our prices), with pickup and delivery windows of a week or more. A driver delivers in about 2 days.
Do you deliver outside Chicago?
Yes, anywhere in Illinois. A delivery far from a major airport can cost a little more, because the driver’s trip home takes longer.
Does one driver take the car the whole way?
Yes. One driver, never handed off, with photos at pickup and delivery and GPS monitoring in between.
Can I pack the car?
Yes. A reasonable amount of personal items can travel with the car.
Do you also go Chicago to California?
Yes, all year, at the same pricing.
How do I get a price?
Request a Vehicle Quote online; it takes about a minute. The owner prices your trip personally and replies within one business day. Tell us the pickup address, the delivery address and roughly when you want the car moved.