Of the many auto transports we do to the state of California, our Illinois to California auto transports are one of the more popular routes. The primary shipping route between these two states is from Chicago, IL to Los Angeles, CA (and going the other way from Los Angeles to Chicago). Given the population of the these two cities, it shouldn’t be a surprise why that route is so common.
The most direct route from Chicago, IL to Los Angeles, CA is just a little over 2,000 miles. A car carrier can typically travel that route in about 5 days. That route will take a car carrier through the states of Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada. There is a lot of ground to cover on this cross-country car shipping route!
As a door-to-door auto transporter, we can pick up your vehicle at any residential or business location in Illinois and get it shipped promptly and safely to any residential or business location in California. We also offer open or enclosed shipping options. See how much it will cost to ship a car from Illinois to California by getting an instant quote today!
Carriers can travel around 500 miles per day. If you take the total distance of your route and divide by 500, you'll get the approximate number of days it will take to ship a car from Illinois to California.
Example: The total distance from Chicago, IL to Los Angeles, CA is 2,015 miles. If you divide that by 500, you get 4.03, or approximately 5 days for delivery.
We provide the estimated delivery times for your specific Illinois to California route when you get an instant quote.
It will depend on the size of the vehicle, whether it runs, and whether it will be shipped on an open or enclosed trailer.
You can see how much it will cost to ship a car from Chicago to Los Angeles by getting an instant quote on our website, or by calling us at (800) 656-7638. Further down on this page we also display the most recent quotes we've provided for transports from Illinois to California to give you an idea of what it will cost.
Book your order on-line and we'll do the rest
Based on recent dispatch reports, the carrier availability rating from Illinois to California is 9/10.
The center of each state is used to approximate mileage between locations.
Estimated transit times are based on carriers traveling up to 500 miles per day.
Shipping your car has never been easier
Get an instant quote or call our transportation specialists.
When ready, book your order. We will call you to confirm the details.
Our truck will pick up your vehicle at an agreed upon date location. After a vehicle inspection, we take care of the rest.
Our drivers will call you when they are a day out to let you know their approximate ETA.
J&S Transportation Car Shipping Reviews
Quote | Date | Pickup | Delivery | Vehicle type |
---|---|---|---|---|
$1878 | August 28 | Peoria, IL | South Pasadena, CA | Car |
$1991 | August 28 | Naperville, IL | Tracy, CA | Midsize SUV / Minivan |
$1732 | August 18 | Bloomington, IL | Santa Ana, CA | Car |
$1251 | August 16 | Elmhurst, IL | Imperial Beach, CA | Compact SUV / Crossover |
$1171 | August 12 | Chicago, IL | Los Angeles, CA | Car |
$1947 | July 29 | Champaign, IL | San Francisco, CA | Car |
$1544 | July 24 | Chicago, IL | San Jose, CA | Car |
$1171 | July 23 | Chicago, IL | Los Angeles, CA | Car |
$2077 | July 19 | Island Lake, IL | Willits, CA | Compact SUV / Crossover |
$1943 | July 13 | Edwardsville, IL | San Anselmo, CA | Car |
The vast majority of the Illinois auto transports we do is in northeast Illinois, specifically the Chicago metro area. “Chicagoland” has a population of around 9.5 million people and has two major trucking corridors that serve the area in the northwest and north (I-90 and I-94), and two trucking corridors in the southwest and south (I-55 and I-57). Given the area’s massive population and numerous interstates serving it, it is an ideal location for car carriers.
A few other car shipping locations in Illinois that aren’t too bad include Rockford in the north, and Peoria and Bloomington in the center of the state.
The most challenging areas to ship a car to or from in Illinois are those areas south of I-70, essentially the southern section of the state. Car carriers aren’t regularly traveling to southern Illinois because the towns and cities there don’t have large populations. Car carriers typically go to high population areas served by interstates. While there are certainly interstates serving southern Illinois, there aren’t a lot of highly populated cities.
Whether you live the Chicago metro area or the small town of Marion, IL in far southern Illinois, or anywhere in between, we can handle your auto transport. As a door-to-door auto transporter, we ship cars to and from any location in Illinois. To find out how much it will cost to ship a car to or from Illinois, and how long it will take to complete, get an instant quote online or call us at (800) 656-7638.
When shipping a car to or from California, I-5 is your friend. That is the main trucking artery in the state. The bulk of all auto transports are up and down the I-5. The closer your pick up and delivery locations are to I-5, the quicker and cheaper your transport will be. The friendliest shipping locations in the state are Sacramento in the north and Los Angeles in the south and any location along the I-5 in between those two cities. San Diego isn’t bad either but given its extreme southern location on I-5, it can sometimes make for a slightly more expensive and longer transport time than those cities further north along I-5.
Other friendly car shipping locations in California include those cities along CA-99, which runs parallel to I-5 and is east of I-5. Those cities would include Chico in the north, down to Yuba City, Modesto, Fresno, and Bakersfield in the south.
Finally, San Jose and the cities along US-101 down to Los Angeles round out the friendly car shipping locations in California.
Now let’s look at the challenging car shipping locations in California. These are locations that will most certainly cost more to ship cars to and from, and where auto transports will take more time to complete.
First up is San Francisco. This isn’t the most challenging location, but it’s certainly not one of the easiest cities to ship cars to or from in California. San Francisco is very time consuming and expensive for car carriers to service. Toll bridges to and from the city are expensive and San Francisco has the highest gas prices in the country. There are also many streets in the city that are restricted to smaller vehicles. All of this makes San Francisco the most unfriendly metro areas west of the Mississippi for car carriers. Be prepared to pay a premium to ship a car to or from San Francisco!
Speaking of the bay area, while San Francisco is challenging, the cities of Oakland, San Leandro, and Fremont aren’t too bad because car carriers don’t have to deal with toll bridges and road restrictions.
The most challenging car shipping locations are going to be those locations that hug the coastline along CA-1 or those locations along US-101 north of San Francisco, those locations in or near the vast forested and mountainous areas of California, and those locations north of Chico that aren’t along I-5 (far northern California).
While we are a door-to-door auto transport company, we have our limitations. There are just some locations trucks can’t get to. If you live in a remote area up in the mountains or deep in a forested area, or if you are shipping to or from one of those restricted streets in San Francisco, you’ll likely have to meet a driver somewhere along a major highway or interstate near your location.
The other challenging aspect of car shipping to or from California is the price of gas in the state. Even in the best economic times the price of gas in California is almost always the highest in the country. Carriers have to make a living so they don't eat those increased costs. They pass them along to you the consumer! As a result, all things being equal, auto transports in and out of California are going to be higher just because of the price of gas in the state so be prepared for that.
To find out what your California auto transport is going to cost and how long it's going to take, get an instant quote on our website or call us (800) 656-7638.
Get answers to some of the most commonly asked questions
The first step is to get an instant quote on our website or by calling us at (800) 656-7638. The quote will give you a current price and the estimated time of delivery for your specific shipping route. From there you can book an order online or book an order with us over the phone.
Yes! By default, our instant quotes are for open transports, but on the quote page you will also see the cost to ship a car enclosed.
The instant quote is all inclusive. There are no sales tax, hidden fees, or additional charges of any kind. Insurance coverage is also included in the price you are given!
We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discovery, American Express, and debit cards. We do not accept check or cash.