Kentucky to Illinois Car Shipping (2024 Cost Guide)
Fact Checked by: Quick answer: The average cost to ship a car 409 miles from Kentucky to Illinois ranges from $594 to $871 and takes one–four days depending on factors like the transport type and season. For a more detailed quote, use our car shipping cost calculator.
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Shipping a car the reverse route? We’ve got you covered with our Illinois to Kentucky car shipping guide.
The best Kentucky to Illinois car shipping companies
We’ve done the research and these are the best car shipping companies to help transport your vehicle from Kentucky to Illinois:
- Best for accurate pricing: Sherpa Auto Transport
- Best cross-country shipper: Montway Auto Transport
- Best for quick pickup: Easy Auto Ship
- Best for discounts: AmeriFreight Car Transport
- Best for overall value: SGT Auto Transport
- Price Lock Promise
- Pay by credit card
- Free car wash at delivery
- No upfront deposit
- Door-to-door service
- No upfront payment
- GPS tracking
- Multiple insurance options
- Competitive pricing
- Door-to-door shipping
- No upfront deposit
- Expedited shipping
- No hidden fees
- Ships motorcycles & RVs
- Discount for cash payments
- Competitive pricing
- Last-minute car shipments
- Guaranteed & expedited shipments
- Gap insurance coverage
- Multiple discounts
- No hidden fees
- Free online quotes
- Door-to-door service in 48 states
- Exact pickup dates
- Ships to & from HI
Alternative ways to ship your car from Kentucky to Illinois
- Drive it yourself. This is straightforward but not always an option, and it will put about 409 miles on your car going from Kentucky to Illinois. If you’re not sure, here are the pros and cons of driving your car vs shipping it.
- Ship it with your movers. If you need to ship your car from Kentucky for a move to Illinois, you may want to hire a moving company that can handle car shipping, as well. Many long-distance moving companies work with reputable car shippers to coordinate auto transport.
- Hire a driver. Hire someone to drive the car from Kentucky to Illinois for you. It’s an option, but will probably be a very costly one and involve trusting a driver to safely get your car to its destination.
- Ship by train. If this is an option for you, it’s an affordable and secure way of shipping your vehicle. Shipping a car by train is actually the cheapest way to ship your car!
KY to IL auto transport costs and transit times
The tables below detail the costs and estimated transit times for shipping a car between popular cities in Kentucky and Illinois. The average travel distance is about 409 miles, with shipping times typically ranging from one to four days .
Cost to ship a car from Louisville, KY to Illinois
| From Kentucky to Illinois | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville, KY to Chicago, IL | $484 – $635 | 298 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Louisville, KY to Aurora, IL | $562 – $716 | 332 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Louisville, KY to Joliet, IL | $503 – $736 | 305 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Louisville, KY to Naperville, IL | $524 – $694 | 318 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Louisville, KY to Rockford, IL | $604 – $819 | 390 miles | 1 – 4 days |
Cost to ship a car from Lexington, KY to Illinois
| From Kentucky to Illinois | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington, KY to Chicago, IL | $542 – $749 | 368 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Lexington, KY to Aurora, IL | $576 – $838 | 403 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Lexington, KY to Joliet, IL | $592 – $762 | 377 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Lexington, KY to Naperville, IL | $581 – $811 | 389 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Lexington, KY to Rockford, IL | $637 – $883 | 461 miles | 1 – 4 days |
Cost to ship a car from Bowling Green, KY to Illinois
| From Kentucky to Illinois | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green, KY to Chicago, IL | $630 – $871 | 418 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Bowling Green, KY to Aurora, IL | $612 – $900 | 452 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Bowling Green, KY to Joliet, IL | $604 – $811 | 426 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Bowling Green, KY to Naperville, IL | $641 – $896 | 438 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Bowling Green, KY to Rockford, IL | $685 – $896 | 511 miles | 1 – 6 days |
Cost to ship a car from Owensboro, KY to Illinois
| From Kentucky to Illinois | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owensboro, KY to Chicago, IL | $587 – $788 | 372 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Owensboro, KY to Aurora, IL | $636 – $863 | 406 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Owensboro, KY to Joliet, IL | $498 – $715 | 320 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Owensboro, KY to Naperville, IL | $616 – $819 | 392 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Owensboro, KY to Rockford, IL | $630 – $797 | 413 miles | 1 – 4 days |
Cost to ship a car from Covington, KY to Illinois
| From Kentucky to Illinois | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Covington, KY to Chicago, IL | $504 – $635 | 297 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Covington, KY to Aurora, IL | $519 – $775 | 331 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Covington, KY to Joliet, IL | $509 – $722 | 305 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Covington, KY to Naperville, IL | $539 – $673 | 317 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Covington, KY to Rockford, IL | $563 – $771 | 390 miles | 1 – 4 days |
Shipping an SUV or truck from Kentucky to Illinois
Since vehicles like SUVs, trucks, and vans are larger and heavier, it’s a bit more expensive to ship them than a sedan. How much more?
If you’re shipping a larger vehicle from Kentucky to Illinois you should expect to pay between $743 and $1,089.
Factors that affect car shipping costs from KY to IL
When transporting your vehicle from the Bluegrass State to the Land of Lincoln, these factors will influence your final price:
- Type of transport: Options like open, enclosed, or top-loaded transport cater to different needs. Open carriers are cost-effective, while enclosed transport provides added protection for luxury or classic cars. If you’re not sure, check out our guide comparing open vs. enclosed car shipping.
- Vehicle size and type: The dimensions and weight of your vehicle directly affect shipping costs. The larger and heavier your vehicle, the more it will cost to ship your car to Illinois.
- Distance and route: The journey from Kentucky to Illinois spans approximately 409 miles, influencing fuel and labor costs. The longer the distance, the bigger the price tag.
- Time of the year: Seasonal demand impacts the price of getting your car out of Kentucky, with summer and winter holidays often seeing a spike due to increased moving and travel activity.
- Fuel prices: Fluctuating fuel prices can significantly affect transport costs. This is an important consideration given the distance between Kentucky and Illinois and the varying gas prices across the country.
- Delivery expectations: Because it’ll make their job easier, your auto shipper may give you a pricing discount if you’re flexible on delivery dates. That being said, getting your car from Kentucky to Illinois should take between one and four days. Expedited services are available but come at a higher cost.
Illinois vehicle regulations you need to know
- Car insurance requirements: The liability insurance minimums for Illinois are $25,000 bodily injury liability per person, $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident, and $20,000 property damage liability per accident.
- Vehicle inspection: In Illinois, emissions inspections are mandatory on a yearly basis for eligible vehicles in the Chicago and East St. Louis metropolitan areas. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency conducts tests on automobiles before residents can renew their vehicle registration with the Secretary of State's office.
- Driver’s license: Even if your out-of-state driver's license is valid, you must still pass a vision test and written exam if you are moving to Illinois. Within 90 days of becoming a resident in the state, you must convert your license to an Illinois non-commercial license.
- Additional taxes: According to Illinois law, the recipient or buyer of any vehicle transferred within the state must complete a Private Party Vehicle Tax Transaction form (form RUT-50) and pay the sales tax for the car within 30 days of the transfer of ownership.
Learn more with our car shipping checklist.
Transporting your vehicle from Kentucky
More than 39 million people call Kentucky home. Nicknamed the Bluegrass State, Kentucky has relatively hot, humid, rainy summers, and moderately cold and rainy winters. Kansas rarely experiences the extremes cold of the northern states nor the heat of the state in the Deep South.
Transporting your vehicle to Illinois
About 22 million people are living in the Land of Lincoln. Illinois' climate is clearly different in the northern and southern halves of the state. The northern half experiences cold winters and mild summers whereas the southern half experiences mild winters and hot and humid summers. Illinois is a part of "tornado alley"
FAQ
Does someone have to be present when you ship a car for pickup in Kentucky and delivery in Illinois?
Most companies will require that an adult of at least 18 years of age be present when picking up your car in Kentucky and when dropping it off in Illinois.
Do you need car insurance when shipping your car from Kentucky to Illinois?
If you’re not driving the vehicle from Kentucky to Illinois, you aren't required to have typical car insurance. Your car hauler should have adequate insurance if an accident happened on the drive to Illinois, which you should verify before loading your car in Kentucky.
If you’re driving your car at all in either state, you should understand the requirements. The insurance coverage includes Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability with limits of $25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident and $25,000 respectively; Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist coverage (not required); Personal Injury Protection with a limit of $10,000; and optional Collision and Comprehensive coverage for vehicle repair or replacement expenses, with no requirement.
The liability insurance minimums for Illinois are $25,000 bodily injury liability per person, $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident, and $20,000 property damage liability per accident.
How long does it take to ship a car from Kentucky to Illinois?
Car shipping companies can travel about 500 miles per day. The trip from Kentucky to Illinois is about 409 miles, and that’s as fast as about 1 day. However, most car transport companies will take one to four days to travel from Kentucky to Illinois.
Will I be required to have a vehicle inspection in either state?
When moving to Kentucky from another state, a one-time Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) inspection is required. To complete the VIN inspection, bring the vehicle and its title to the Sheriff's office in the county where the car will be registered.
In Illinois, emissions inspections are mandatory on a yearly basis for eligible vehicles in the Chicago and East St. Louis metropolitan areas. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency conducts tests on automobiles before residents can renew their vehicle registration with the Secretary of State's office.
If I have a driver’s license in Kentucky, will I need one in Illinois?
Even if your out-of-state driver's license is valid, you must still pass a vision test and written exam if you are moving to Illinois. Within 90 days of becoming a resident in the state, you must convert your license to an Illinois non-commercial license.
If I bought a car in Kentucky, will I be required to pay sales tax in Illinois after shipping it there?
It’s important to understand any tax implications if you’re having a car shipped from Kentucky to Illinois after purchasing it.
According to Illinois law, the recipient or buyer of any vehicle transferred within the state must complete a Private Party Vehicle Tax Transaction form (form RUT-50) and pay the sales tax for the car within 30 days of the transfer of ownership.
We recommend that you always check for updated tax information in both Kentucky and Illinois to avoid any hidden costs.
What is the cheapest way to ship a car from Kentucky to Illinois?
The cheapest way to ship a car from Kentucky to Illinois is to ship it on a train or choose an open trailer transport method, avoid expedited shipping, and be flexible with your pickup dates.
How much does it cost to ship a car from Kentucky to Illinois?
Shipping a car from Kentucky to Illinois costs $594 to $871.
