Moving From Los Angeles to Chicago: Movers, Costs, and Benefits

Los Angeles is expensive, gridlocked, and full of aggressive homeless people. It’s also full of psychotic influencer wannabes and crappy food trucks (sorry, even that one).

LA people are getting so desperate, they’re moving to CHICAGO of all places. But the more you think about it, the more it makes sense: It’s cheaper, it’s got great public transport, and all the bums are moving to California anyways. If you’re tired of Los Angeles but you still want big city life, Chicago is the polar opposite you’re looking for.

If you’re ready to move from LA to Chicago, iMoving is here to help. We’ve got over 1,000 vetted and verified movers to choose from, and by keeping all the shopping and booking entirely online, we’re making LA to Chicago easier than ever.

But if you’re still on the fence, don’t worry: Read on to learn more about your move, and meet some of our favorite LA moving companies.

It’s gonna cost you between $1,638 to $14,145 to move from Los Angeles to Chicago. Why such a big window?

When long distance movers math out your price, the two main factors they look at are the distance you’re traveling, and the amount you’re transporting. Moving prices can vary wildly, and it’s all because every move is different.

There’s about 2,015 miles between LA and Chiraq. While this does mean you’ll be putting plenty of distance between yourself and Los Angeles, it also means you’ll have to shell out extra cash for the extra long distance.

On the other hand, you can save some serious cash when it comes to the physical size of your move. Try to get rid of your excess stuff before shopping for a quote. This way, you won’t get charged for transporting all those extra pounds. If you don’t use it, don’t move it.

Long distance moving takes between 1 and 21 days, but for the LA to Chicago route, you’re looking at a 5 day minimum. Under federal law, your driver can’t clock more than 400 miles of interstate travel per day.

Aside from rules and regulations, you may end up waiting longer if you’re only moving a small amount of stuff. Movers don’t like to send half-empty trucks all over the place, so for greater efficiency they’ll bundle multiple smaller moves in the same truck. (Don’t worry; they’ll keep everything separated and secure.)

Bundling moves may be great for your price, but you’ll have to wait while your movers deal with pickups and deliveries along the way.

Moving from LA to Chicago will cost you from $1,638 to $14,145, but there’s a lot that goes into your final price. Take a look at these factors, and see how you can save big on the big day.

1. Distance

When your movers are running the numbers, the distance is probably the most important factor. More miles means more money, and since LA and Chicago are about 2000 miles apart, you’ll have to prepare your wallet accordingly.

2. Size

Notice how we said “probably” about the distance being the most important factor. That’s because in the moving game, the physical size of your move is also a major player.

Movers will assign either a weight (in pounds) or a volume (in cubic feet) to all your stuff. Try to donate, sell off, or throw out all your unwanted belongings to save some cash.

3. Packing

Packing is an optional expense, and if you’re trying to be cheap, you can pack by yourself. But just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

Packing is a huge pain: it’s time consuming, it’s frustrating, and NOBODY likes going to Home Depot that much (plus, they never have the right-sized boxes). Shell out for packing, and the pros will make it easy.

4. Insurance

Movers are required to offer a base level of insurance coverage, so that’s pretty cool. You know what’s not cool? The fact that the base coverage is only good for $0.60 per pound of damaged goods.

Break a 4-pound laptop? Enjoy your $2.40. If you want to get the full value of your broken items, you’ll have to pay for full-value coverage.

5. Storage

You’re moving long distance. There’s no easy way to tell whether all your stuff is going to fit in your new place - let alone plan out where everything is going to live once you get there.

If you want some extra square footage and extra time, you’ll have to pay for storage. Be on the lookout: Some movers offer 30 days free!

6. Furniture Assembly/Disassembly

Some stuff is just too big to box up. In these cases, your movers will have to show up with tools and special equipment to disassemble your extra-large items. Sometimes it’s unavoidable, but it sure makes life a lot easier when you can pack things flat.

7. Specialty Moving

We’ve been in the game for a while, so we’ve seen a lot of weird moves. Some people need to transport their family heirlooms or antiques.

In other cases, they need pianos, pool tables, or even vintage motorcycles crated up and hoisted out the window. This all requires extra planning, prep, and - you guessed it - money.

8. Access Fees

Here’s a fun experiment for you: Try to draw a line from your front door to the sidewalk. Does the line run into any obstacles on the way? Think about staircases, elevators, gates, and long hallways, to name a few examples. All of these obstacles are going to be tough for your movers, and they’ll charge you extra for the extra excitement.

9. Gratuity

This one isn’t included in your quote, but we’re gonna include it here anyway. Tips are a big deal in the moving industry. 15% to 20% is a good figure, to be divided up across your whole team. Don’t forget the driver!

When you tell all your LA friends that you’re moving to Chicago, they’ll probably roast you and tell you you’re going to get shot or something. But here’s why you’ll get the last laugh:

• It’s cheaper: Come on, you’ve been living in LA long enough to know how expensive the city is. Chicago is way cheaper than Los Angeles, not just in terms of rent and home values, but also just about everything else.


• It’s experiencing a renaissance: Sure, make all the Chiraq jokes you want (and believe us, we’ve made a few), but Chicago is getting better every day. You can be one of those gentrifiers that everyone in LA complains about.


• Lots of job opportunities: LA has plenty of work, that’s true - but in Chicago, you can find a job that actually keeps you afloat. There’s plenty of different industries in the windy city, from finance to healthcare and tech. Go nuts.


• Less traffic: Let’s be honest, you’re probably reading this while you’re locked down on the 405. If you’re tired of traffic (like everyone else in LA), Chicago has great public transport.

• Still a big city: This isn’t moving to Iowa or Nebraska or something. Chicago is still a big city, and you’ll still be able to find plenty of hustle and bustle to keep you occupied. Speaking of, there’s actually lots to do in Chicago…

Los Angeles is pretty packed when it comes to activities, but don’t write off the Windy City. Chicago has plenty of cool sights that are worth checking out, and there’s always something new going on.

• Millennium Park: Chances are, when you do a quick Google search for Chicago, you’ll see a huge metal sculpture that looks like a bean (aptly nicknamed “the Bean” by the locals). It’s in Millennium Park, which also has plenty of greenery and open space.


• Boat Tours: The Chicago River actually has water in it! You can hop on a boat and ride up and down the river, and learn a little something about your new hometown while you’re at it.


• Street Festivals: Chicago winters are no joke. Fortunately, the summers make up for those -30º cold snaps. Once the weather gets nicer, there’s entire streets full of open-air concerts, vendors, and good eating.


• The Art Institute of Chicago: When the weather doesn’t cooperate, there’s plenty of indoor activities. The Art Institute of Chicago is a great example. Check out all the classics, as seen in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.


• Wrigley Field: In keeping with the Ferris Bueller’s Day Off thing, you can also go to Wrigley Field to catch a ball game. Of course, you’ll have to root for the Cubs, but that just comes with the territory.

That wraps things up for our guide to LA to Chicago moving! Hopefully you learned a thing or two about what to expect from your move - and what to expect from your new hometown.

If you’re ready to get started, iMoving is ready to help. Tell us more about your move, and shop, compare prices, and book your LA to Chicago movers today!