A boat in Illinois is laid up for about 5 months a year at Chicago, and the median first 32°F night arrives October 20 at Springfield (NOAA 1991-2020). 140 boat storage facilities are listed in Illinois, 33 with indoor or climate-controlled space.
| Month | Chicago high / low | boat | Chicago snow | Springfield high / low | boat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32° / 19° | laid up | 11.3 in | 36° / 20° | laid up |
| Feb | 36° / 22° | laid up | 10.7 in | 41° / 24° | laid up |
| Mar | 47° / 31° | laid up | 5.5 in | 53° / 33° | launch or haul-out |
| Apr | 59° / 40° | launch or haul-out | 1.3 in | 66° / 43° | launch or haul-out |
| May | 71° / 51° | in the water | 0.0 in | 76° / 54° | in the water |
| Jun | 80° / 61° | in the water | 0.0 in | 84° / 63° | in the water |
| Jul | 85° / 66° | in the water | 0.0 in | 87° / 66° | in the water |
| Aug | 83° / 65° | in the water | 0.0 in | 85° / 64° | in the water |
| Sep | 76° / 57° | in the water | 0.0 in | 80° / 56° | in the water |
| Oct | 63° / 45° | launch or haul-out | 0.2 in | 67° / 45° | launch or haul-out |
| Nov | 48° / 34° | laid up | 1.8 in | 53° / 34° | launch or haul-out |
| Dec | 37° / 24° | laid up | 7.6 in | 41° / 25° | laid up |
Boat column rule: in the water at a 65°F high and 45°F low or warmer; launch or haul-out from a 52°F high; laid up below.
By that rule a boat at Chicago has 5 months in the water (May to September), 2 of launch or haul-out and 5 laid up. By that rule a boat at Springfield has 5 months in the water (May to September), 4 of launch or haul-out and 3 laid up.
Illinois is hard-freeze country: Chicago logs about 121.3 nights at or below 32°F and 43.4 days that never thaw, enough to freeze any water left in the engine block, raw-water passages, outdrive and plumbing.
140 live listings in 43 cities; by listed type: 33 indoor, 4 covered and 119 outdoor (types overlap). No Illinois boat storage listing publishes a rate on StowHelp.
| Facility | City | Listed storage | Listed amenities | Also listed for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ace Storage Granite City | Granite City | indoor, outdoor | ||
| Dixon Mini Storage | Granite City | indoor, outdoor | ||
| Wrubel Boat & RV Storage | Columbia | indoor, outdoor | ||
| Mini-Max Self Service Storage-Office Across Street | Collinsville | indoor, outdoor | ||
| South Belt Storage | Belleville | indoor, outdoor | ||
| Securely Storage | Countryside | indoor, outdoor | ||
| Metro East Mini Storage | Edwardsville | indoor, outdoor | ||
| Pontoon 5 Star Storage | Pontoon Beach | indoor, outdoor | ||
| Bay Marine Chicago | Waukegan | indoor, outdoor, covered | security cameras, gated entry | Jet Ski |
| Eagle Marine Industries Inc | East Saint Louis | indoor, outdoor | ||
| Marina Westrec Management Inc | Chicago | indoor, outdoor | Jet Ski | |
| Rieck's Ship & Boat Yard Division of Grand Salt Co | Cicero | indoor, outdoor | ||
| Westview Boat & Car Storage | Dupo | indoor, outdoor | ||
| Busy Bee Storage | Caseyville | indoor, outdoor | ||
| Chicago Boat Yard | Chicago | indoor, outdoor | ||
| Stow-A-Way Self Storage | Collinsville | indoor, outdoor | ||
| Wrubel RV & Boat Storage | Columbia | indoor, outdoor | ||
| Public Storage | Berwyn | outdoor | Car, RV, Motorcycle | |
| CubeSmart | Maywood | outdoor | Car, RV, Motorcycle | |
| Public Storage | Skokie | outdoor | Car, RV, Motorcycle |
| City | Boat Storage listings | Indoor | Climate-controlled | Outdoor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | 64 | 13 | 0 | 59 |
| Alhambra | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Granite City | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Skokie | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Waukegan | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Alsip | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Bedford Park | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Berwyn | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Cicero | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Collinsville | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
NOAA's 1991-2020 median first 32°F night is October 28 at Chicago and October 20 at Springfield; winterize by October 6, two weeks ahead of the earlier date. By our boat rule Chicago stays in the water through September and Springfield through September, then 2 months of launch or haul-out follow at Chicago. 33 Illinois listings offer indoor or climate-controlled space.
5 at Chicago (October to April) and 3 at Springfield (October to April), plus 2 and 4 months of launch or haul-out. Those laid up months hold 36.9 of the 38.4 inches of snow Chicago averages a year (96%), which is the load on a cover or carport roof. At Chicago a boat is in the water from May to September (5 months), against 5 at Springfield.
Of 140 live Illinois listings, 33 list indoor space and 0 climate-controlled units, against 119 outdoor and 4 covered. By city: Chicago (64 listed, 13 indoor), Alhambra (16 listed, 0 indoor), Granite City (4 listed, 4 indoor) and Skokie (3 listed, 0 indoor). Most indoor listings: Chicago (13), Granite City (4) and Waukegan (3). Ask whether indoor means heated; listings span 43 cities in all.
At Chicago, 4 months average a low at or below 32°F, all of them laid up months by our boat rule. Chicago logs 121.3 nights at or below 32°F and 6.5 at or below 0°F a year; January, the coldest month, averages 18.8°F and is laid up for a boat.
After the last frost. The median last 32°F night is April 16 at Chicago and April 14 at Springfield; the last 28°F hard freeze comes around April 5 and April 3. Our rule makes May the first month in the water at Chicago and May at Springfield. That month Chicago averages a 50.6°F low and a 70.5°F high. Reverse each winterization step first.
Illinois boat storage listings span 43 cities, led by Chicago (64 listed), Alhambra (16 listed), Granite City (4 listed), Skokie (3 listed) and Waukegan (3 listed). For outdoor winter parking, Chicago (59 outdoor) and Granite City (4 outdoor) lead. Statewide, 119 list outdoor, 4 covered and 33 indoor or climate-controlled spaces. Compare the cities nearest you before October 20.
NOAA NCEI Climate Normals 1991-2020 (USW00094846, USW00093822); NOAA AOML hurricane impacts 1851-2025; StowHelp listings 2026-10-07 (methodology).