Chicago scrap prices are set by mill demand: the steelworks of northwest Indiana and the Midwest melt shops buy the ferrous, while copper, brass and aluminum track the COMEX-linked national board. Prices firm up in late winter when scrap is scarce; bring photo ID and expect full record-keeping.
Scrap metal prices per lb in Chicago
| Scrap type | Price (USD) | Change | Global reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-ferrous (per lb) | |||
| Copper Scrap | $5.81 / lb | ▲ +1.22% | $5.81 / lb |
| Aluminum Scrap | $0.87 / lb | ▲ +1.16% | $0.87 / lb |
| Brass Scrap | $3.54 / lb | ▲ +1.14% | $3.54 / lb |
| Stainless Steel Scrap | $0.57 / lb | ▲ +0.00% | $0.57 / lb |
| Lead Scrap | $0.59 / lb | ▲ +0.00% | $0.59 / lb |
| Zinc Scrap | $0.90 / lb | ▲ +0.00% | $0.90 / lb |
| Battery Scrap | $0.23 / lb | ▲ +0.00% | $0.23 / lb |
| Radiator Scrap | $3.34 / lb | ▲ +1.21% | $3.34 / lb |
| Wire Scrap | $2.81 / lb | ▲ +1.44% | $2.81 / lb |
| Cable Scrap | $1.87 / lb | ▲ +1.08% | $1.87 / lb |
| Electronic Scrap | $0.80 / lb | ▲ +1.27% | $0.80 / lb |
| Ferrous and bulk (per ton) | |||
| Steel Scrap | $300 / ton | ▲ +0.00% | $300 / ton |
| Iron Scrap | $264 / ton | ▲ +0.00% | $264 / ton |
| Car Scrap | $360 / ton | ▲ +0.00% | $360 / ton |
| Cast Iron | $288 / ton | ▲ +0.00% | $288 / ton |
Indicative dealer prices for clean, sorted scrap in the United States, shown here for Chicago. Individual yards quote around this level by grade, volume and condition; the derivation from exchange benchmarks and the exchange rate (1 USD = 1.00 USD) is described in the methodology section below.
Chicago scrap price chart (USD)
Daily open, high, low and close for the most traded scrap metals in USD, the same series Chicago yards price against. Scroll to zoom and drag to move along the timeline.
Price history could not be loaded.
- Current Price
- Daily Change
- Weekly Change
- Monthly Change
- Yearly Change
The scrap market in Chicago
Chicago sits beside the largest steelmaking cluster in North America. Mills in Gary, Burns Harbor and across northwest Indiana take heavy melt, shredded and busheling by rail and truck, so ferrous demand is structural rather than seasonal, and the city has processed scrap for more than a century.
Winter is the one reliable wrinkle: collection slows in the cold months and mills raise bids in January and February to pull material in. Sellers holding ferrous through December into the new year often catch that lift; non-ferrous follows the exchange rather than the calendar.
- State
- Illinois, United States
- Quoted in
- USD per lb (non-ferrous), per ton (ferrous)
- Yards cluster in
- Calumet corridor, Cicero, Elston Avenue, south suburbs
- Demand from
- Northwest Indiana mills, Midwest foundries
Where the scrap yards are in Chicago
- South Side along the Calumet River: the historic heavy-scrap corridor serving the Indiana mills.
- Cicero and the west side industrial belt: full-service yards for contractors and peddlers.
- North branch and Elston corridor: retail yards convenient for tradespeople.
- South suburbs (Blue Island, Harvey, Dolton): shredders and auto scrap.
What pays well in Chicago
- Prepared heavy melt and plate cut to mill size.
- Busheling and clean clips from stamping and fabrication shops.
- Number 1 copper and insulated wire from electrical work.
Selling scrap metal in Chicago: rules, ID and payment
Illinois requires recyclers to record the seller's government photo ID and a description of the material, and restricts cash for certain items; many Chicago yards pay by check for copper and catalytic converters. Vehicles need a title, and out-of-state ID is fine with proof of address.
Before any sale, check the live board above, sort by grade and get quotes from two or three buyers; the best scrap price guide covers the routine and the calculator turns a weight into a figure at today's price. To judge whether a local quote is competitive, our note on telling a well-paying yard from a headline rate sets out the benchmark test.
Chicago scrap price FAQ
What is the scrap copper price in Chicago today?
As of the latest update, the indicative price for clean number 1 copper is about $5.81 per lb in USD. Chicago yards typically quote within a few percent of that figure either side, depending on grade, volume and the buyer; the live board above shows all fifteen grades.
When do scrap prices peak in Chicago?
Most years, late January to early March. Snow and cold cut collection while the Indiana mills keep melting, so buying programs rise to pull scrap in, then ease as spring flows recover. Ferrous sellers who can hold through December usually do better in the new year.
Where can I sell scrap metal in Chicago?
The Calumet corridor on the South Side handles heavy industrial loads, Cicero and the west side serve contractors, and the Elston corridor is convenient for small non-ferrous lots. Chicago spreads are competitive, so two phone quotes are worth the ten minutes.
Are Chicago prices different from the national board?
The board on this page is the the United States indicative level, and Chicago yards trade around it rather than exactly on it. Local competition, freight to the nearest consumer and the day's export demand set the spread, which is why two quotes in the same city can differ by several percent on the same morning.
Sources and methodology
The Chicago board uses the the United States indicative prices: global exchange benchmarks (COMEX copper, CME aluminum and steel, NYMEX platinum and palladium, IMF monthly lead, zinc and nickel) multiplied by typical yard recovery shares, a local market factor of 1.00 and the day's exchange rate. The full method, the recovery shares and the correction policy are on our editorial policy page; local notes on this page are reviewed against published dealer information and reader corrections sent to info@scrappricetoday.com.
Prices are indicative and for information only; they are not offers to buy or sell. Yard quotes in Chicago vary by grade, volume, condition and buyer.
Nearby and related
Scrap metal prices in the United States · All countries · Catalytic converter prices