Shipping a car from Illinois to Florida costs $1,000–$1,500 on an open carrier and $1,450–$1,700 enclosed, and takes 3–5 days in transit after pickup. Add the pickup window ahead of that, usually 1–5 days, and a little more if a January storm rolls through. The drive runs about 900 to 1,400 miles, depending on which part of Illinois you leave from and which Florida coast you’re headed to.
Illinois isn’t one pickup market. Our quotes come from the North Shore and northwest suburbs (Glenview, Wheeling, Vernon Hills), from Chicago and the south suburbs around Lansing, and from Metro East across the river from St. Louis, especially Granite City. Those areas leave the state on different interstates, and the route section below shows how.
How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Car from Illinois to Florida?
Here’s the lane at a glance:
| Route snapshot | Details |
|---|---|
| Distance | ~900–1,400 miles (Granite City–Jacksonville: ~900; Chicago–Orlando: ~1,150; Chicago–Miami: ~1,400) |
| Open transport | $1,000–$1,500 |
| Enclosed transport | $1,450–$1,700 |
| Transit time | 3–5 days after pickup |
| Pickup window | Usually 1–5 days; winter storms can add time |
| Main corridors | I-65 or I-57 to I-24, then I-75 south |
| Busiest months for quotes | January, February, May, September |
What decides where you land in that range:
- Chicagoland, Metro East, or somewhere else. The Chicago suburbs and Metro East both sit on major truck routes, so carriers pass through often. Peoria, Springfield, Rockford, and the Quad Cities take a detour, and a farm address far off I-57 takes a bigger one. Detours cost more.
- Winter. January and February are the busiest months for Illinois to Florida quotes. Demand is high and cold snaps slow trucks down, so winter pickups tend to price higher.
- Your Florida coast. Jacksonville and the Panhandle are the shorter trips. Naples and Miami add a few hundred miles down the peninsula.
- The vehicle. A sedan costs less than a pickup, a full-size SUV, or a van. Minivans and passenger vans ship on this lane too, priced by size.
- Flexible dates. Give the carrier a few days and your car can join a truck already loading around Chicago.
A January quote at $1,000 or less is hard to fill. In peak months carriers get to choose their loads, and they choose the ones that pay. We quote the number a good carrier will accept, not the one that looks best on a comparison page.
How Long Does Illinois to Florida Car Shipping Take?
Plan on 3–5 days after pickup. Chicago to Jacksonville is about two days of legal driving for a truck. The extra time goes to loading and dropping other cars in places like Indianapolis, Nashville, and Atlanta, plus Atlanta traffic, which slows everyone.
The pickup window comes first, usually 1–5 days. Winter is what stretches it here:
- Snow and ice. A blizzard or an ice storm can close roads around Chicago for a day. Haulers wait it out rather than load cars on ice.
- Deep cold. On subzero mornings, diesel can gel and weak batteries die, which pushes loading to the afternoon or the next day. If you’re shipping in January, make sure your battery is healthy.
- January volume. It’s the busiest month on this lane, so book two to three weeks out, or more if your date can’t move.
For a closer look at what drives timing, see how long it takes to ship a car.
The Route: I-65 and I-24 to I-75
From Chicago, most carriers take I-65 south through Indianapolis and Louisville to Nashville, then I-24 southeast over the Monteagle grade to Chattanooga. There I-75 carries them through Atlanta, Macon, and Valdosta into Florida. Some cut over on I-74 from Indianapolis to Cincinnati and ride I-75 the whole way down through Lexington and Knoxville.
Metro East is a different start. From Granite City, trucks head east on I-64, turn south on I-57, and pick up I-24 near Marion, then run through Paducah and Nashville to join the same I-75 run at Chattanooga. The south suburbs, including Lansing, sit at the Indiana line, a short drive from where I-65 begins in Gary.
In Florida, I-75 runs down the middle of the state to the Gulf Coast: Gainesville, Ocala, Tampa, Sarasota, Fort Myers, and Naples. Orlando is a turn onto the Florida Turnpike at Wildwood. Jacksonville is reached on I-10 east from Lake City, and West Palm Beach and Miami by way of the Turnpike.
Illinois pickup areas:
- North Shore and northwest suburbs (Glenview, Wheeling, Vernon Hills): regular service, easy driveway access
- City of Chicago: plenty of trucks, but tight streets and permit parking make a nearby meeting spot common
- South suburbs (Lansing, Tinley Park, Orland Park): close to I-80, I-94, and I-65
- Metro East (Granite City, Edwardsville, Belleville): regular service by way of I-57 and I-24
- Rest of the state (Rockford, Peoria, Springfield, Champaign, the Quad Cities): fewer trucks, so allow more pickup time
Florida delivery areas: Tampa Bay, Sarasota, Fort Myers, and Naples; Ocala, The Villages, and Orlando; Jacksonville and the Panhandle; West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami. Our Illinois and Florida guides cover pickup and delivery in more depth. Leaving from Detroit or Grand Rapids instead? The Michigan to Florida guide covers I-75 from the top.
Seasonal note: January and February are the heaviest months on this lane, the stretch when Illinois drivers who stayed home for the holidays head south. September brings the first wave of the season, and May is busy too. If your date is flexible, March, April, and the summer months are easier to book southbound. Wintering in Florida for a few months? Our snowbird shipping guide covers the round trip.
Open vs. Enclosed on This Route
Open transport works for most daily drivers leaving Illinois. There’s one winter catch: a car on an open trailer out of Chicago in January picks up road-salt spray through Indiana and Kentucky. Rinse the underside once it’s in Florida and the problem is gone.
Enclosed transport runs $1,450–$1,700 on this lane, about $500 more than open for the same car. For comparison, enclosed adds about $350 on a New York to Florida move and about $700 from California. It’s the right call for a garage-kept classic, a collector car, or a sports car you store for the winter and don’t want on a salted interstate.
If you want enclosed in January, ask for it on your first call. It’s the scarcest equipment in the busiest month.
Why Ship This Route with Allied Auto Transport?
Our quotes aren’t built to win a price comparison. They’re built to get your car on a good truck, with a person on the phone the whole way.
- A Transport Advisor who picks up. A U.S.-based Transport Advisor answers your call and stays on your shipment from pickup to delivery. When a winter storm moves your pickup, you hear it from a person.
- A carrier from a known network. Your car goes with a carrier from our network of vetted, insured carriers.
- A broker, not a trucking company. We arrange the shipment, and a vetted, insured carrier hauls it.
- Priced for the month you ship. We’ve been in the car business since 1989, long enough to know a January Chicago load and a June one aren’t the same job. Your quote reflects that, so your car doesn’t sit waiting on a number no carrier will take.
What to Expect, Step by Step
- Step 1: Request your quote. Use the form or call with your Illinois ZIP, Florida ZIP, vehicle, and target date. You’ll hear from a Transport Advisor within minutes.
- Step 2: Confirm. Choose open or enclosed and agree on a pickup window. No deposit until your carrier is booked.
- Step 3: Carrier assigned. You get the carrier’s name and contact before pickup, and its FMCSA record is public if you’d like to look.
- Step 4: Pickup. In winter, clear the snow off the car and the driveway. Walk the car with the driver and note any existing damage on the Bill of Lading. Our prep checklist covers the rest.
- Step 5: On the road, 3–5 days. Your Advisor can update you anywhere from Indianapolis to the Florida line.
- Step 6: Delivery. Check the car against the pickup Bill of Lading, write down anything new before you sign, and plan that rinse if it rode through a salted January.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you pick up on the Illinois side of St. Louis?
Yes. Granite City, Edwardsville, Belleville, and the rest of Metro East get regular service, and those cars head for Florida on I-57 and I-24 rather than going up through Chicago.
Should I ship enclosed to keep road salt off my car?
Only if it’s a classic, a collector car, or something you’d rather keep off a salted road. For a daily driver, open transport and a rinse in Florida do the job for about $500 less.
How far ahead should I book a January move?
Two to three weeks at minimum, and more if your date is fixed. January is the busiest month on this lane. Our guide on how far in advance to book goes deeper.
Is it worth shipping instead of driving to Florida?
Chicago to Orlando is two long days of driving, plus a hotel, fuel, tolls, and about 1,150 miles on your car in winter weather. Shipping lets you fly down and skip the ice on I-65. Compare the costs in our drive-or-ship guide.
Is my car insured during transport?
Carriers in our network carry cargo insurance. Ask your Advisor for the carrier’s certificate before pickup, and check what your own policy covers. More in our insurance guide.
Can I ship a minivan or passenger van?
Yes. Minivans, passenger vans, pickups, and SUVs all ship on this lane. Larger vehicles take more trailer space and price higher than a sedan, so give us the exact model when you ask for a quote.
Get Your Quote
Give us your Illinois pickup ZIP and your Florida address, and a Transport Advisor will get you a price you can book. Asking costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
Or call (800) 997-4181.
