Chicago Abortion Fund and University of Chicago Publish Study Shows People Travel Three Times as Far for Abortion Care Tripling of Distance Traveled for Abortion Care Post-Roe v. Wade
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Olivia Kuncio, Communications Manager, Chicago Abortion Fund
Email: media@chicagoabortionfund.org
Phone: (708) 552-0477
Chicago Abortion Fund and University of Chicago Publish Study Shows People Travel Three Times as Far for Abortion Care Tripling of Distance Traveled for Abortion Care Post-Roe v. Wade
The study found significant increases in miles travelled for care since the Dobbs decision, with abortion funds helping meet associated needs
CHICAGO, IL– June 3, 2026 – Researchers at Chicago Abortion Fund (CAF) and The University of Chicago have published a study showing a more than threefold increase in median distance traveled for abortion care since the Dobbs v. Jackson Whole Women’s Health ruling in June 2022. The study is now published in the Journal of the American Medicine Association (JAMA).
The study, which used CAF grantee data collected between 2020 and 2023, found:
Out-of-state CAF callers relying on IL for care traveled more than 3 times the distance after Dobbs compared to before.
Overall, median one-way travel distance increased from 69.2 miles to 228.2 miles pre- to post-Dobbs.
Median travel distances were longer for the following people seeking abortion care: those under 18 (compared to those aged 25-34), those in the second trimester (compared to first), those without health insurance, those receiving hospital-based care, and those from rural areas (compared to those from urban areas).
1 in 4 people forced to cross state lines for an abortion come to Illinois to receive care. In 2025, this was approximately 32,000 abortion seekers, 43% of whom received direct support from CAF. Since the fall of Roe v. Wade, CAF has fielded over 50,000 support requests from more than 40 states, ensuring that everyone relying on Illinois is able to access the abortion care they want, need, and deserve, despite barriers.
Long travel distances can be mitigated through telehealth provision of medication abortion, but there are ongoing legal challenges threatening access to mifepristone prescribed via telehealth or sent through the mail. Although the Supreme Court has restored access to telehealth abortion care for now, the issue continues to be litigated in court despite mifepristone being a safe, proven medication that has been used for medication abortions for decades. Restricting telehealth will significantly contribute to a further increase in miles traveled for care for many patients.
If recent legal challenges to mifepristone provided through telehealth or sent via mail are successful, median distances could increase further. Even for in-state patients, less than 20% of Illinois’ 102 counties have an abortion provider, and many Illinoisans rely on telehealth as an option for accessing medication abortion. Restrictions on telehealth would not only burden those seeking care, but also potentially further strain the capacity of free-standing clinics, potentially increasing wait times and reducing access overall.
Statement from Megan Jeyifo, Chicago Abortion Fund Executive Director:
“This study reflects the reality that we have increasingly seen over the last several years – people are travelling further and facing heightened barriers when trying to access an abortion. We had our busiest first quarter in our over 40 year history this year – fielding over 5,000 support requests and distributing nearly $3 million to directly meet appointment cost and travel needs for our callers.
At CAF, we believe that your zip code should not determine your access to basic, essential healthcare. The Chicagoan down the street from us or the Texan who has to travel over 1,000 miles to get care both deserve access to abortion care, and we’re going to continue to work to make that possible.”
Statement from Meghan Daniel, PhD Chicago Abortion Fund Senior Director of Programs and Study Co-Author
“Access to abortion care is a basic human right; nobody should have to travel across state lines to actualize decisions about their bodies, their health, or their families. This research highlights what many of us have known for years - that abortion bans and gestation limits create and exacerbate inequality. As we work to break down these barriers, Chicago Abortion Fund is here to answer the call and serve as a model of abortion access across the U.S.”
Dr. Katherine Rivlin from the Complex Family Planning Research Center added, “Our team at the University of Chicago was thrilled to partner with the Chicago Abortion Fund to better understand the distances pregnant people travel to access abortion in the post-Dobbs landscape,”“We find that CAF callers traveled more than 3 times the distance to Illinois after Dobbs compared with before, with younger callers, callers with private or no insurance, with rural zip codes, those in the second trimester of pregnancy, and those receiving hospital-based care all traveling further. Traveling further for abortion care is a measure of spatial inequality, with further distance associated with lower access to care. CAF plays a critical role in mitigating deeply systemic access barriers.