We move households from Chicago to Toronto, and from Toronto back to Chicago, with the customs paperwork prepared on both sides. About 829 km by road.
Brands we work with
A Chicago to Toronto move means taking your goods out of Illinois and bringing them into Ontario. You declare everything to the Canada Border Services Agency at the port of entry, usually Windsor after the Ambassador Bridge, on cargo lists filed for the load. Ontario also gives new residents a limited window, about 60 days, to exchange a US driver’s licence.
Goods that travel with you are listed on a BSF186A accompanying list, and goods arriving later on a BSF186 goods-to-follow list. Both are filed with the Canada Border Services Agency at the port of entry, typically Windsor or Sarnia on this route. Motion prepares the lists from your inventory to reduce the risk of delay at the port.
Used personal and household effects are generally duty-free when you relocate to Canada. A returning resident must have owned and used the goods abroad for at least six months to qualify under tariff item 9805.00.00. Settlers bringing goods to Canada for the first time are assessed under different conditions, so confirm your status before the move.
The truck takes I-94 across Indiana and Michigan to Detroit, crosses the Ambassador Bridge to Windsor, then follows Highway 401 to Toronto. It is about 830 km city centre to city centre. The Blue Water Bridge at Port Huron is the alternative crossing, and one Motion carrier handles the whole run without a transfer.
New Ontario residents are expected to exchange a US driver’s licence within about 60 days, and vehicles need federal import clearance before they can be registered. Alcohol, firearms and plants have their own import rules and are best declared and discussed with us before anything is loaded in Illinois.
Tell us about your Chicago and Toronto move in the quote form at the top of this page, and we will set up the video call.
Get my free quoteRoad distances to Toronto
829 km
Chicago ↔ Toronto
885 km
Aurora ↔ Toronto
864 km
Naperville ↔ Toronto
852 km
Joliet ↔ Toronto
Moving from Chicago or a nearby city to Toronto? We pick up across the Chicago area and the rest of Illinois and deliver to Toronto, the GTA, Ottawa, Hamilton, London and the rest of Ontario, or the other way round. Your move is assessed on a video call, the rate is locked in writing, and we help you prepare the customs paperwork before the truck reaches the border.
Moving from Chicago to Toronto is a run of roughly 830 km: east on I-94 through Indiana and Michigan to Detroit, across the Ambassador Bridge to Windsor, then along Highway 401 into the Greater Toronto Area. One carrier moves the load the whole way with no transfer at the border, and customs paperwork is handled for you.
Lake-effect snow can slow I-94 through southwest Michigan from late autumn into March, so winter dates are planned with slack in the schedule.
Book your Chicago building early. High-rises in the Loop and River North, and many Chicago condos, require elevator reservations and certificates of insurance, and street loading may need a permit. Sort these out before the loading date is set.
Separate the goods that travel with you. Items arriving in your car go on the accompanying list and everything else on the goods-to-follow list. Decide the split before the video call so the inventory is right the first time.
Declare alcohol, firearms and plants. Canada restricts all three, and a Chicago basement or garage often holds more than people remember. Check those spaces and tell us before loading, not when you reach the border.
Prepare for Toronto elevators and docks. Many Toronto condo towers require booked elevator time and have limited loading docks, which affects truck access. Ask your building manager for the rules and send them to us before delivery.
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Origin, destination, rough timeline. A specialist texts you back within five minutes, Mon-Sun, 9am-7pm ET.
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We assess your move accurately over a video call, no in-person visit needed, then lock your rate in writing. Klarna available on deposits $500+.
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Picked up at your door and delivered to your new one, in Illinois or in Canada. Cargo-liability insured. Balance due after delivery, before offloading.
Sources: Canada Border Services Agency (Form BSF186, Memorandum D2-2-1) and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP Form 3299). Rules depend on your situation; confirm yours with the border agency.
The same carrier loads in Illinois and delivers in Ontario. Nothing is handed to a second company at the Detroit and Windsor crossing.
We prepare the BSF186 and BSF186A cargo lists for CBSA, so your goods reach the port of entry with the forms ready.
A short video call walks through your rooms, and the quote is built from what we see rather than a guess from a web form.
Trucks run Chicago to Toronto and back, so a Toronto to Chicago move is as routine as the reverse.
Your goods are delivered to your Toronto or GTA address, brought in along Highway 401 from the Windsor crossing.
“I was helping my daughter to relocate from New Jersey to Toronto and we worried so much about the cross border move. … The pick up in New Jersey was made so smooth that we didn't need to worry about even the packing. The shipment arrived Toronto in 3 days, without needing us to clear the customs!”
ada choungNew Jersey → Toronto · July 2026
Read the full review on Google →“Moving from Montréal to Texas felt like a lot to handle at first. … His approach was different — his communication was on point, he was thorough, and everything he said matched the reviews I read. … The team worked hard, took care of my stuff, and made the whole thing way easier than I expected.”
André LavoieMontréal → Texas · December 2025
Read the full review on Google →“We are moving to the United States and so far Charles and Brent have made our movement swift and smooth. I am sure just as the stuff was picked up on time, it will be delivered on time . Thank you for promptly answering our calls always… wishing your company the very best.”
Shilpa ThackerMoving to the United States · November 2025
Read the full review on Google →Reviews quoted word for word from Motion Transport’s Google Business Profile (5.0 from 216 reviews); … marks a shortened review.
5.0 · over 200 Google reviews
Real customers. Real moves. A moving specialist personally answers every quote.
Read all reviews on GoogleUsually the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor, reached by I-94 through Michigan. The Blue Water Bridge at Port Huron is the alternative, also on I-94, and the choice depends on traffic and scheduling. Either way, Highway 401 carries the truck on to Toronto.
About 830 km by road, city centre to city centre. Suburbs add a little: Naperville is about 860 km and Waukegan about 890 km. The route is I-94 across Indiana and Michigan, a border crossing, then Highway 401 across southern Ontario.
Actual timing depends on the fulfilment partner, how full the truck is, border processing and winter weather on I-94 through Michigan. We confirm a delivery window on your video call once the inventory is clear.
Generally not on used personal and household effects when relocating. Returning residents must have owned and used the goods abroad for at least six months under tariff item 9805.00.00, and first-time settlers are assessed under different conditions. Alcohol, vehicles and firearms follow separate rules.
Yes. Motion runs the Chicago and Toronto corridor in both directions with one carrier end to end, and fills trucks on the return. Going south, the load crosses at the Ambassador Bridge or Blue Water Bridge and enters the US under US customs rules, which we explain on the video call.
Show us your rooms on video and we quote the move from what we see.
