WA → IL · Emerald City to Windy City

Moving from Seattle to Chicago?

Seattle to Chicago — WA 0% to IL 4.95% costs $4,950/yr more, housing 51% cheaper — Amazon/Microsoft → Boeing Chicago + Walgreens + United Airlines + Northwestern Medicine + Citadel.

2,070 mi Distance
30 hr Drive time
51% lower Home prices
$-4,950/yr Tax savings on $100K

The Story

Seattle-to-Chicago is Boeing Everett → Boeing Chicago HQ + Amazon → United Airlines move. WA 0% → IL 4.95% costs $4,950/yr more. Housing 51% cheaper, COL 33% lower. Pull: Boeing Chicago HQ (direct Boeing Everett transfer), Walgreens HQ (Cerner bridge), United Airlines HQ, Northwestern Medicine, Citadel finance, walkable city.

Why This Move

Why people move from Seattle to Chicago.

Boeing Chicago HQ — direct Boeing Everett transfer
Walgreens HQ — Fortune 25 retail (Cerner data bridge)
United Airlines HQ — aviation
Northwestern Medicine + UChicago Medicine
Citadel finance (relocated from NYC) — fintech
Caterpillar HQ + McDonald's HQ + Abbott Labs
Walkable city — L train + walking
Cubs + Sox + Bears + Bulls + Blackhawks

Cost Comparison

The money side of WA → IL.

Seattle

Median home$730,000
Income taxNone (WA)
Cost index165

Chicago

Median home$360,000
Income tax4.95% (IL flat)
Cost index110

What to Do in Chicago

Things you'll want to know about your new city.

Bookmark this page — these are the icons of Chicago, organized by what kind of day you're planning.

Outdoors & Recreation

Millennium Park (Cloud Gate / 'The Bean') — Anish Kapoor's sculpture; Pritzker Pavilion concerts
Willis (Sears) Tower Skydeck — 103rd floor with glass-floor 'Ledge'
Chicago Riverwalk — 1.25-mile waterfront walk with bars and architecture views
Lake Michigan Lakefront Trail — 18-mile beach/path along the lake

Culture & Arts

Art Institute of Chicago — Among top 10 art museums globally; Hopper, Picasso, Wood
Wrigley Field — 1914 stadium; Cubs games, ivy walls, rooftop bleachers
Architecture Boat Tour — Chicago Architecture Center's tour — best way to see the city

Family-Friendly

Navy Pier — Ferris wheel, IMAX, Children's Museum, fireworks
Field Museum of Natural History — SUE the T. rex; Egyptian mummies; gem hall
Lincoln Park Zoo — Free zoo in Lincoln Park since 1868

Where to Eat

Chicago's essential restaurants.

The dining list every Chicago resident knows by heart. Save the spots, work through them.

Alinea Modernist fine dining Lincoln Park

Three Michelin stars; Grant Achatz
Lou Malnati's Pizzeria Deep dish pizza Multiple

Classic Chicago deep-dish
Au Cheval American/burger West Loop

The cheeseburger of the decade
Smoque BBQ BBQ Old Irving Park

Texas-style brisket and ribs
Girl & The Goat New American Fulton Market

Stephanie Izard's flagship; Top Chef winner
Pequod's Pizza Deep dish pizza Lincoln Park / Morton Grove

Caramelized cheese crust
Lula Cafe Farm-to-table Logan Square

Seasonal menus, beloved brunch
Topolobampo Mexican fine dining River North

Rick Bayless's regional Mexican

Where to Live

Best Chicago neighborhoods for Seattle transplants.

Mapped to the Seattle neighborhoods that probably feel like home to you.

West Loop

If Capitol Hill was your scene — walkable, restaurants, lofts
Wicker Park / Bucktown

If Ballard was your vibe — gentrified, walkable, breweries
Lincoln Park

If Queen Anne was your historic vibe — historic, walkable, brownstones
River North

If you wanted urban — walkable, restaurants, galleries
Evanston (suburb)

If Bellevue was your model — top schools, walkable, Northwestern
Oak Park (suburb)

If Mercer Island was your scene — top schools, walkable, historic

Climate & Walkability

What daily life feels like in Chicago.

Climate

Continental — four extreme seasons. Hot, humid summers (75-90°F). Brutal winters with windchill (-10 to 30°F, lake-effect snow). Spring is muddy; fall is glorious. 'Windy City' nickname earned. 189 sun days/year.

Summer70-85°F
Winter21-35°F
Sun days/yr189
Rainfall37 inches

Walkability

Walk Score77/100
Transit Score65/100
Bike Score72/100

Chicago is very walkable — daily errands rarely require a car.

Outdoors & Recreation

Lakefront Trail — 18 miles of beach/path along Lake Michigan
Chicago Riverwalk — kayaking, paddleboarding, riverboats
Lincoln Park / Grant Park / Millennium Park — major urban parks
Indiana Dunes National Park (1 hr east) — beaches and trails
Starved Rock State Park (1.5 hrs west) — canyons and waterfalls
Biking — among most bike-friendly major US cities, Divvy bike share

Reality Check

What changes about your daily life.

WA 0% becomes IL 4.95% — costs $4,950/year more on $100K
Housing 51% cheaper — $730K Seattle becomes $360K Chicago
COL 33% lower
Climate flips oceanic to humid continental (Chicago cold winters, hot summers)
Property tax IL 2.1% higher than WA 0.85%
Walkability stays high — both cities walkable + transit
Boeing Everett → Boeing Chicago HQ direct internal transfer
Sports — gain Cubs/Sox/Bears/Bulls/Blackhawks, lose Mariners/Seahawks/Kraken

Driving Routes

How to drive there.

I-90 E

2,070 miles via Spokane, Billings, Sioux Falls, Madison. 30 hours / 4 days.

Move Logistics

What it takes to move 2,070 miles.

Full-service (3BR)$8,000-$14,500
Container/PODS$5,800-$9,500
DIY (26-ft truck)$4,200-$7,200
Best monthsMay-Oct (avoid winter)
Lead time8-10 weeks ahead

USDOT-registered.

Common Questions