Skip to content

Shipping To and From Illinois

Ship Discounted Domestic Rates

Sign up now and join +10,000 shippers that use 60% discounted rates

Shipping International? Get Quote with International Shipping Calculator
Table of Contents
  1. Shipping to Illinois
  2. Shipping to Illinois with UPS
  3. Shipping to Illinois with USPS
  4. Shipping to Illinois with FedEx
  5. Shipping from Illinois
  6. Shipping from Illinois with UPS
  7. Shipping from Illinois with USPS
  8. Shipping from Illinois with FedEx

If you are sending only a few parcels, you probably do not have to be concerned about cost. However, your budget can be affected by shipping costs once your needs increase for anything like running a business or sending packages personally. Therefore, it’s important to learn about how courier services operate when you are dealing with delivery to or from Illinois, since it is both large and centrally located. Your total shipping cost is influenced by the courier you choose, the weight and dimensions of your package, and mainly by the distance involved.

Since Illinois is in the very center of the Midwest, you may find this helpful. If you have to ship things within the Midwest or around the country, Illinois’ position makes it a preferred and often less expensive choice. So, which courier is best for your needs? We’ll discuss the advantages and disadvantages of UPS, USPS, and FedEx when using them for shipping to and from Illinois, and we’ll tell you how to use a shipping calculator for the best rates. Here are your alternatives so you can choose a shipping option that suits you.

Shipping to Illinois

Because of its good links by road, air, and rail, shipping goods to and from Illinois is both fast and cost-effective. If you are in Indiana, Wisconsin, or Iowa, shipping goods to Illinois tends to be less expensive than shipping from farther away. Nonetheless, the longer distance to California and Florida leads to paying extra for shipping from those states.

Shipping to Illinois with UPS

UPS has won a reputation for being one of the most dependable couriers. Because it controls the cost and time of shipping, it fits shippers who ship parcels again and again. Customers have the choice of Ground, 2nd Day Air, and Next Day Air when using UPS. If you’re shipping to Chicago, Peoria, or Springfield, UPS usually delivers quickly and at a decent price.

But, customers in rural areas or less-visited places in Illinois have reported that UPS can take longer than planned. You can find an estimate by using the UPS shipping calculator online, which tells you the cost and how long your package will take to get there.

Shipping to Illinois with USPS 

USPS is the most affordable shipping choice for sending packages. Packages with small proportions, such as parcels and documents, are ideal for normal delivery. If you are sending things in the Midwest, USPS Priority Mail and First-Class Mail will usually cost you less than UPS or FedEx.

Yet, the biggest disadvantage is that packages often arrive a bit more slowly. USPS establishes limits for both the size and the weight of packages. If your shipment includes large or bulky items, you should look at different couriers. However, senders should consider USPS for shipments that do not need to be delivered quickly or cheaply. A USPS postage calculator allows you to see current shipping costs.

Shipping to Illinois with FedEx

When shipping bigger or heavier things, FedEx is a trusted company. Almost all of Illinois is covered by FedEx Ground and Express, and their service lets you ship 150 lbs or more, so it’s good for shipping equipment, machinery, or other bulkier goods.

Cost differences between FedEx and the competition narrow when you send heavy goods. For deliveries across a state or from far away, they are fast and trustworthy. Find the shipping rates to Aurora, Champaign, and Decatur through the FedEx shipping calculator.

Shipping from Illinois

Shipping from Illinois is just as easy as shipping to the state. Since Illinois is right in the middle, you can trust that parcel delivery will be predictable and prices will match, except that the distance still plays a major part.

For instance, having your goods delivered to Missouri will be much cheaper than shipping them to places like California or Alaska.

Shipping from Illinois with UPS

If you’re near Illinois, UPS still offers great value when shipping. UPS has different delivery plans to suit whether someone needs the package in Chicago, Rockford, or Naperville as quickly as possible. Ground delivery is perfect for local shipping, and 2-Day or Overnight service is useful when time is critical.

Still, remember that Illinois is one of the nation’s largest states. Therefore, shipping rates might change if you’re sending from the north (Rockford) or the south (Carbondale). Getting a UPS quote with the ZIP code of your pickup is more accurate.

Shipping from Illinois with USPS

When looking to save money on shipping, USPS is still the best choice if you’re sending from Illinois. This rule applies most to lighter packages and boxes that you can send by pre-paid rate. This service is nice because no matter how far it goes, the price remains the same.

You’ll see longer delivery times if you’re sending your items from Illinois to the other side of the state or to another state. For example, sending goods from Rockford in the north to Memphis, Tennessee, in the south might need extra time. Always use the USPS price calculator to verify how long delivery will take.

Shipping from Illinois with FedEx

Transferring heavy items from Illinois is easier with FedEx. For either shipping business items or moving to a new location, use FedEx’s Ground and Freight services. It is possible to arrange the shipment of bulky items like furniture or big boxes using Freight, along with receiving tracking, quality insurance, and flexibility in picking up the goods.

For domestic shipping, use FedEx Ground, and FedEx Express will get your package there fast. When you have a large item from Illinois going to New York or Texas, FedEx can save you money because of its flat pricing for heavy shipments.

Illinois at a glance

Illinois had an estimated 12,719,141 residents on July 1, 2025, the 6th largest population among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

That is down 0.8% from 12,821,741 in April 2020.

In the year to July 1, 2025, Illinois lost 40,017 residents to other states through migration and gained 44,752 through international migration.

The same year saw 125,129 births and 114,226 deaths, a natural increase of 10,903.

The capital of Illinois is Springfield.

Illinois covers 55,514 square miles of land in 102 counties, about 229 people per square mile.

Key facts: Illinois
CapitalSpringfield
Population (2025)12,719,141
Change since April 2020-102,600
Land area55,514 sq mi
Counties102
Population of Illinois, 2020 to 2025 (July 1)
12.5M12.6M12.7M12.8M202020212022202320242025

The July 1 estimate fell from 12,795,348 in 2020 to 12,719,141 in 2025. The largest one-year gain was 69,644 people, in the year to July 1, 2024. On average it changed by -15,241 people a year.

Show the numbers
Population of Illinois by year (July 1 estimates)
YearPopulationChange
202512,719,141+16,108
202412,703,033+69,644
202312,633,389+23,812
202212,609,577-93,777
202112,703,354-91,994
202012,795,348n/a

Largest cities in Illinois

Chicago is the largest city in Illinois, with 2,731,585 residents in 2025, followed by Aurora (181,505) and Naperville (153,114).

Together, the 20 largest cities are home to 36.2% of the state's residents.

Of these 20 cities, seven grew and 13 shrank or held steady since April 2020; the fastest growing was Champaign (+3.3%). Together they lost 29,703 residents and are home to 36.2% of the state's population.

Largest cities in Illinois, 2025
CityResidentsChange since April 2020Change (%)
Chicago2,731,585-16,748-0.6%
Aurora181,505+949+0.5%
Naperville153,114+3,579+2.4%
Joliet152,241+1,738+1.2%
Rockford147,384-1,652-1.1%
Elgin115,476+657+0.6%
Springfield112,989-1,581-1.4%
Peoria110,920-2,296-2%
Champaign91,195+2,880+3.3%
Waukegan87,940-1,371-1.5%
Show all 20 rows
CityResidentsChange since April 2020Change (%)
Cicero81,858-3,436-4%
Bloomington78,804+116+0.1%
Schaumburg77,249-1,489-1.9%
Evanston76,380-1,725-2.2%
Arlington Heights76,216-1,460-1.9%
Bolingbrook74,803+857+1.2%
Decatur67,884-3,515-4.9%
Skokie66,544-1,279-1.9%
Palatine65,842-2,046-3%
Des Plaines58,772-1,881-3.1%

Of these 15 counties, eight grew and seven shrank or held steady since April 2020; the fastest growing was Kendall County (+10.3%). Together they lost 49,420 residents and are home to 80.5% of the state's population.

Most populous counties in Illinois, 2025
CountyResidentsChange since April 2020Change (%)
Cook County5,194,625-84,385-1.6%
DuPage County934,298+1,269+0.1%
Lake County719,339+4,945+0.7%
Will County712,253+14,892+2.1%
Kane County525,757+9,048+1.8%
McHenry County317,751+7,446+2.4%
Winnebago County283,674-1,677-0.6%
Madison County263,110-2,873-1.1%
St. Clair County250,708-6,909-2.7%
Champaign County209,972+3,527+1.7%
Show all 15 rows
CountyResidentsChange since April 2020Change (%)
Sangamon County194,170-2,235-1.1%
Peoria County178,553-3,455-1.9%
McLean County171,419+193+0.1%
Kendall County145,470+13,594+10.3%
Rock Island County141,869-2,800-1.9%

Parcel delivery in Illinois

In 2023, Illinois had 594 courier and express delivery businesses employing 66,805 people, which ranks 5th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

It also had 976 warehousing and storage businesses with 86,938 employees; courier businesses averaged 112 employees each.

In 2024, an estimated $171.4 billion of goods (30.8 million tons) left Illinois by multiple modes and mail, the Freight Analysis Framework (FAF) category that includes parcel delivery. That is about $5,569 per ton, far above the $1,710 per ton of truck freight from the state.

Illinois borders six states: Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin.

Wisconsin, texas and california received the most, 19.1% of the value that left Illinois this way.

Goods leaving Illinois by multiple modes and mail: top destination states, 2024
StateValueTonsPer tonShare of value
Wisconsin$12.13 billion402,271$30,1647.1%
Texas$10.4 billion1,297,857$8,0166.1%
California$10.21 billion1,396,189$7,3116%
Indiana$6.953 billion1,673,371$4,1554.1%
Florida$5.194 billion1,099,265$4,7253%
Ohio$5.172 billion1,671,705$3,0943%
New York$5.127 billion287,632$17,8253%
Pennsylvania$4.521 billion1,479,960$3,0552.6%
Michigan$4.492 billion340,567$13,1892.6%
Georgia$4.172 billion3,506,483$1,1902.4%
Show all 15 rows
StateValueTonsPer tonShare of value
North Carolina$3.498 billion930,421$3,7602%
Minnesota$3.435 billion197,831$17,3632%
Maryland$3.214 billion98,983$32,4661.9%
Missouri$2.774 billion340,495$8,1471.6%
Virginia$2.698 billion352,968$7,6431.6%

Goods sent to Illinois this way came mostly from California ($11.8 billion), Texas ($7.2 billion) and Washington ($5.1 billion).

Goods sent to Illinois by multiple modes and mail: top origin states, 2024
StateValueTonsPer ton
California$11.83 billion1,159,037$10,206
Texas$7.241 billion2,560,034$2,828
Washington$5.057 billion329,590$15,344
Missouri$4.621 billion1,623,385$2,847
Pennsylvania$4.432 billion382,145$11,599
Michigan$4.021 billion261,175$15,397
New York$3.525 billion89,572$39,359
Florida$3.465 billion171,505$20,204
New Jersey$3.299 billion168,364$19,595
Indiana$3.25 billion1,972,488$1,648
Ohio$3.139 billion1,039,094$3,021
Wisconsin$3.082 billion763,230$4,038

By value, electronics, pharmaceuticals and machinery led, together 51.7% of the total.

Goods leaving Illinois by multiple modes and mail: top commodities, 2024
CommodityValueTonsPer tonShare of value
Electronics$35.18 billion432,118$81,42120.5%
Pharmaceuticals$35.15 billion130,334$269,67920.5%
Machinery$18.26 billion611,210$29,87610.7%
Miscellaneous manufactured products$15.79 billion349,972$45,1229.2%
Motorized vehicles$8.503 billion432,418$19,6635%
Plastics and rubber$7.499 billion2,285,140$3,2824.4%
Mixed freight$6.951 billion358,546$19,3874.1%
Precision instruments$6.359 billion117,004$54,3503.7%
Articles of base metal$5.235 billion203,157$25,7673.1%
Basic chemicals$4.367 billion2,228,968$1,9592.5%
Textiles and leather$4.117 billion117,256$35,1132.4%
Other foodstuffs$3.548 billion2,055,399$1,7262.1%

Hear What Satisfied Customers Are Saying

At Shipixy, we pride ourselves on offering competitive rates and a straightforward shipping process. Our focus on delivering exceptional service has led to countless satisfied customers who keep coming back. We believe in building strong relationships and trust with our customers. Hear from real people about their experiences with our freight services—check out their reviews and see why they choose us!

Trustpilot
  • Excellent job well done

    Excellent job well done. Repeat customer. Best way to buy from vendors who don't ship to Canada or internationally. Shipixy comes through again for me. Thanks.

    Lucy David, February 5, 2022

  • The shippers were very cordial and…

    The shippers were very cordial and friendly. They took great care to be sure my items were secure and protected. It was a pleasure to deal with them. And the items were delivered in a reasonable amount of time and were just as friendly and cordial to my daughter and her family. I highly recommend using your services!

    fajar gakuen, February 1, 2022

  • We received our last order one day…

    We received our last order one day before it was expected. The Shipixy team has been very helpful throughout this whole process and I cannot recommend this service enough, especially to those living abroad!

    Sara Luísa Gomes, January 27, 2022

  • Shipixy staff they respond to you…

    Shipixy staff they respond to you quickly and try to help you the most, I was having problem in shipyourcart website to ship 3 parcels, they arrange and call them even though they dont have too! They done this just help me out, thats very nice and kind of them, I respect that Thank you

    customer, July 11, 2023