Illinois is two insurance markets in one state. Chicago and its neighboring counties price like a dense metro, while downstate Illinois prices like the farm country it is. Here is the state picture: what Illinois drivers pay on average, what the law requires you to carry, and where to look next.
What Illinois drivers pay on average
Full-coverage car insurance in Illinois averages about $162 a month, and a state-minimum policy averages about $84 a month, according to Insurify’s 2026 Illinois rate data.
The spread inside the state is the real story. Full coverage in Chicago averages about $286 a month ($3,432 a year) in NerdWallet’s October 2026 analysis of rates insurers filed with regulators. That is roughly $124 a month above the statewide average, the price of insuring a car in a city with some of the busiest expressways in the country.
Averages are not quotes. Your own rate depends on your driving record, your vehicle, your coverage limits, and your exact ZIP code. Ready to see real offers? Compare free car insurance quotes and pick the coverage that fits.
What Illinois requires you to carry
Illinois’ minimum liability limits are 25/50/20: $25,000 for injury to one person, $50,000 for injuries per accident, and $20,000 for property damage. Those limits went up in January 2023. Every Illinois policy also carries uninsured motorist coverage of $25,000/$50,000 and underinsured motorist coverage of $25,000/$50,000.
Illinois is a fault state, so the at-fault driver’s insurance pays first. The higher minimums helped, but $20,000 of property damage coverage goes fast against today’s repair bills, and minimum limits leave you personally exposed above them. Worth a look before you settle for a minimum policy.
Where to look next
We are building out car insurance by city in Illinois, starting with Car insurance in Chicago. Guides for the big downstate cities follow.
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Sources: statewide averages from Insurify’s Illinois price data (October 2026); Chicago figures from NerdWallet’s October 2026 analysis of rates insurers filed with regulators (Quadrant Information Services); minimum-coverage requirements from the Illinois Department of Insurance. Figures are public averages, not quotes, and were current as of their source date. If you start a quote through links on this site, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.