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State guide · October 2026
What it costs to ship a car to or from Arkansas, why Little Rock and Northwest Arkansas are the easy pickups, and the county paperwork Arkansas wants before it registers a car from another state.
Written by Adam Scott, Coordinator at Broadway Auto Transport · October 20, 2026 · Prices updated October 20, 2026
Live carrier rates · ~30 seconds
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The short answer
In October 2026, a running sedan on an open carrier costs about $500 from Dallas to Fayetteville, $770 from Chicago to Fayetteville, and $1,325 from New York to Little Rock. Little Rock to Dallas is about $465 and Fayetteville to New York about $1,150. Ozark towns off I-40 and I-49 take longer to get a truck.
Where in Arkansas the car is decides how fast a truck comes and whether it reaches the door. Tap a city to price a pickup there.
I-30, I-40, and I-630 meet in Little Rock, and carriers crossing between Memphis, Dallas, and Oklahoma City pass the city every day. Little Rock to Chicago costs about $710 this month and Little Rock to Denver about $990. Coming in, Atlanta to Little Rock runs about $575 and New York to Little Rock about $1,325.
The University of Arkansas sits on the hills west of I-49, and the blocks around Dickson Street and campus are tight for a long trailer, so student pickups often happen at a lot near the interstate. Dallas to Fayetteville costs about $500 this month, Chicago to Fayetteville about $770, and Fayetteville to Los Angeles about $1,260.
Walmart's home office and the supplier offices around it bring relocations all year, and they bunch up in summer when families move between school years. Bentonville sits at the north end of the I-49 cities, a few miles from Missouri. The newer subdivisions in Bentonville, Rogers, and Centerton usually have room for a carrier at the curb.
Price a pickup in BentonvilleFort Smith sits on the Oklahoma line near where I-49 meets I-40, so the trucks running between Memphis and Oklahoma City go right past it. Ebbing Air National Guard Base hosts the F-35 training center for allied air forces, and its pilots and instructors arrive on orders from several countries.
Price a pickup in Fort SmithLittle Rock Air Force Base, home to the largest C-130 fleet in the Air Force, sits in Jacksonville about 17 miles northeast of downtown Little Rock on the new I-57. PCS orders peak from June to August. Meeting the driver outside the main gate saves arranging base access for the truck.
Price a pickup in JacksonvilleConway is about 30 miles up I-40 from Little Rock and has three colleges: the University of Central Arkansas, Hendrix, and Central Baptist. August move-in is the busy stretch. Most of the city sits within a few minutes of the interstate, so carriers rarely need a meet-up here.
Price a pickup in ConwayJonesboro is the hub of northeast Arkansas, tied to I-55 by the short I-555 spur. Arkansas State University brings students in each August. The Delta farm towns around it sit off the interstates, so a pickup there can wait an extra day for a truck.
Price a pickup in JonesboroHot Springs sits about 25 miles off I-30 among the Ouachita lakes, reached on US-70 or US-270. Retirees in Hot Springs Village, a large gated community to the north, should leave the driver a gate pass or plan to meet at the main gate.
Price a pickup in Hot SpringsWhat it costs
I-40 crosses Arkansas from Fort Smith to West Memphis, and it is the state's main freight route, carrying trucks between Memphis and Oklahoma City and on to the Southwest. Car haulers ride it too, which is why Little Rock gets a carrier quickly for a city its size. The state's other shipping center is Northwest Arkansas, the string of cities along I-49 from Fayetteville through Springdale and Rogers to Bentonville. Between them sit the Ozarks and the Ouachitas, where two-lane roads and steep hills make a pickup slower to arrange.
The prices here come from the Arkansas lanes we priced this month, for a running sedan on an open carrier. The short run to Dallas is the cheapest lane we priced, about $465 from Little Rock and about $500 from Dallas to Fayetteville. The sections below cover who ships cars in and out, where the trucks go, the weather, and the county assessor's step that every new Arkansas resident runs into at registration.
These are October 2026 figures for the state. Your exact lane, vehicle, and week take about 30 seconds.
See my exact priceLocked 14 days · $0 until dispatch
Approximate prices, October 2026 · open carrier · running sedan · 12 Arkansas lanes
Approximate prices for a running sedan on an open carrier, from the Arkansas lanes we priced this month. They are planning figures. Little Rock and the I-49 cities price at the low end; the Ozarks, the Delta away from I-40 and I-55, and the far southwest cost more and wait longer. Give the calculator your two ZIP codes and it prices the exact lane in about 30 seconds.
What moves the number
Approximate October 2026 prices for a running sedan on an open carrier. Larger vehicles, enclosed trailers, and peak weeks cost more; the calculator prices your exact shipment.
Lanes · October 2026
Approximate prices for a running sedan on an open carrier, with the range most trucks on the lane land in. “Truck assigned in” is how long it usually takes to find a carrier. Transit is what one driver covers at 400 to 500 miles a day after that.
$500most trucks $420–$575
338 mi1 day on the trucktruck assigned in 1–24 hours
About $500 this month for 338 miles. The shortest route crosses eastern Oklahoma to I-40 and turns north on I-49 at Alma, and the car usually spends a single day on the truck.
Price this route$770most trucks $655–$880
671 mi2 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–47 hours
I-55 to St. Louis, I-44 to Joplin, then I-49 south over the Bella Vista bypass, about 671 miles. About $770 this month, most trucks between $655 and $880, with corporate moves to Bentonville keeping it busy in summer.
Price this route$1,325most trucks $1,110–$1,540
1,233 mi3–4 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–5 days
Carriers take I-81 through Virginia to I-40 at Knoxville and stay on it through Nashville and Memphis, about 1,233 miles. About $1,325 this month, while Fayetteville to New York, going the other way, is about $1,150.
Price this route$465most trucks $350–$580
319 mi1 day on the trucktruck assigned in 1–3 days
I-30 runs the whole 319 miles, through Arkadelphia and Texarkana, and a carrier covers it in a day. About $465 this month. Dallas to Fayetteville, the nearest inbound match, runs about $500.
Price this route$1,150most trucks $990–$1,310
1,351 mi3–4 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–18 hours
About $1,150 this month for 1,351 miles, north on I-49 and I-44 to St. Louis, then east on I-70 through Ohio and Pennsylvania. That is below the $1,325 for New York to Little Rock, so the Northeast lane costs less going out than coming in.
Price this route$1,260most trucks $1,120–$1,395
1,571 mi4 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–21 hours
I-49 down to I-40, then west through Oklahoma City, Amarillo, Albuquerque, and Flagstaff, about 1,571 miles. About $1,260 this month, close to the $1,280 for Los Angeles to Little Rock.
Price this route| Lane | Miles | Approx. price | Most trucks | Truck assigned in | Transit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas, TX → Fayetteville, AR | 338 | $500 | $420–$575 | 1–24 hours | 1 day | 338 mi · 1 day · truck in 1–24 hours |
| Atlanta, GA → Little Rock, AR | 517 | $575 | $485–$670 | 1–3 days | 2 days | 517 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Chicago, IL → Fayetteville, AR | 671 | $770 | $655–$880 | 1–47 hours | 2 days | 671 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–47 hours |
| Denver, CO → Fayetteville, AR | 797 | $750 | $685–$810 | 1–44 hours | 2 days | 797 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–44 hours |
| New York, NY → Little Rock, AR | 1,233 | $1,325 | $1,110–$1,540 | 1–5 days | 3–4 days | 1,233 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–5 days |
| Los Angeles, CA → Little Rock, AR | 1,664 | $1,280 | $1,175–$1,380 | 1–46 hours | 4–5 days | 1,664 mi · 4–5 days · truck in 1–46 hours |
| Lane | Miles | Approx. price | Most trucks | Truck assigned in | Transit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Rock, AR → Dallas, TX | 319 | $465 | $350–$580 | 1–3 days | 1 day | 319 mi · 1 day · truck in 1–3 days |
| Little Rock, AR → Chicago, IL | 642 | $710 | $595–$825 | 1–25 hours | 2 days | 642 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–25 hours |
| Fayetteville, AR → Atlanta, GA | 706 | $970 | $675–$1,260 | 1–20 hours | 2 days | 706 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–20 hours |
| Little Rock, AR → Denver, CO | 967 | $990 | $765–$1,215 | 1–25 hours | 2–3 days | 967 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–25 hours |
| Fayetteville, AR → New York, NY | 1,351 | $1,150 | $990–$1,310 | 1–18 hours | 3–4 days | 1,351 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–18 hours |
| Fayetteville, AR → Los Angeles, CA | 1,571 | $1,260 | $1,120–$1,395 | 1–21 hours | 4 days | 1,571 mi · 4 days · truck in 1–21 hours |
Your lane is not in the table? Every ZIP pair in Arkansas prices the same way, in about 30 seconds.
Price my exact laneLocked 14 days · $0 until dispatch
Northwest Arkansas pulls in cars from all over the country. Walmart's home office is in Bentonville and Tyson Foods is based in Springdale, and both companies, plus the suppliers with offices nearby, hire from out of state. This month Chicago to Fayetteville costs about $770 for a running sedan, most trucks between $655 and $880, Denver to Fayetteville about $750, and Dallas to Fayetteville about $500. Students add an August bump at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.
Little Rock is the other inbound hub. New York to Little Rock is about $1,325, Los Angeles to Little Rock about $1,280, and Atlanta to Little Rock about $575. Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville brings in airmen on PCS orders, and Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith now trains allied pilots on the F-35. Arkansas State in Jonesboro and the University of Central Arkansas in Conway fill up in August.
Texas is the closest big market and the cheapest lane out. Little Rock to Dallas costs about $465 this month, most trucks between $350 and $580, for a 319-mile run that a carrier covers in a day. Little Rock to Chicago is about $710. Two outbound lanes cost well more than their inbound pairs. Fayetteville to Atlanta is about $970 against $575 for Atlanta to Little Rock, and Little Rock to Denver is about $990 against $750 for Denver to Fayetteville.
The long runs to the coasts are a little cheaper going out. Fayetteville to New York costs about $1,150, a bit under the $1,325 for New York to Little Rock, and Fayetteville to Los Angeles about $1,260. If you are leaving a corporate job in Bentonville or a base assignment in Jacksonville, give the pickup a window of a few days. Both areas are on interstates, so the wait for a carrier is usually short.
A loaded car carrier runs about 75 feet. These are the Arkansas addresses where it can’t reach the door, and what happens instead. Your coordinator settles it before you book.
Four corridors carry most of the car haulers. I-40 runs east-west through Fort Smith, Russellville, Conway, Little Rock, and West Memphis. I-30 runs southwest from Little Rock past Benton and Arkadelphia to Texarkana. I-49 runs north from Fort Smith through the Northwest Arkansas cities toward Missouri, and I-55 crosses the northeast corner from West Memphis to Blytheville. Since late 2024 the old US-67 freeway from North Little Rock to Walnut Ridge carries the I-57 number.
Anywhere on those roads prices at the low end of the band and gets a truck fast. Hot Springs is a short run off I-30 and usually fine. The Ozark towns are harder. Eureka Springs, Mountain Home, Harrison, and the Buffalo River country sit on winding two-lane highways, and Eureka Springs' hillside streets cannot take a 75-foot rig. For those, plan to meet the driver at a lot in Bentonville, Springdale, or another town on the interstate. The Delta towns away from I-40 and I-55 may wait an extra day for a carrier.
Arkansas tornadoes can come in any month. The biggest outbreak on record hit in January 1999, when 56 touched down over two days, and that year set the state record with 107. When a tornado warning covers a carrier's route, the driver pulls off until it passes. That usually costs a few hours, and your coordinator texts you if the pickup window moves.
Winter weather falls mostly from December through March, from under an inch a year in the southeast to more than a foot in the northwest hills. Ice is the bigger problem for a truck. A glaze on I-40 or I-49 stops car haulers until the road is treated, and a pickup in the Ozarks can slip a day or two. A weather delay does not touch the quoted price.
Plan on a call from the driver about 24 hours ahead and a confirming text from your coordinator the day before.
Leaving Arkansas costs less on 4 of the 6 pairs priced this month. Carriers price the empty miles home, so the busier direction costs more. Each pair below is the same out-of-state city in both directions, running sedan, open carrier.
Dallas
Atlanta
Chicago
Denver
New York
Los Angeles
Calendar
When the same lanes get busy, and what that does to your pickup week.
How busy the Arkansas lanes get each month, from our coordinators’ calendar. Busier months fill trucks sooner and cost more.
Arkansas rules
The rules that catch people who bring a car in from another state.
Rules as of the review date below. The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration Office of Motor Vehicle is the source, and your county assessor handles the assessment; check both before you register.
Questions
In October 2026, Dallas to Fayetteville runs about $500 for a running sedan on an open carrier, Chicago to Fayetteville about $770, and Atlanta to Little Rock about $575. From the coasts, New York to Little Rock is about $1,325, most trucks between roughly $1,110 and $1,540, and Los Angeles to Little Rock about $1,280. The quote holds for 14 days.
Little Rock to Dallas runs about $465 on an open carrier in October 2026, most trucks between roughly $350 and $580. It is a 319-mile trip, so the car is usually delivered the day after pickup or sooner. Dallas to Fayetteville, the reverse direction into Northwest Arkansas, is about $500.
A day or two to assign a carrier in Little Rock or Northwest Arkansas, longer in the Ozarks, then about 400 to 500 miles a day on the truck. That is about one day to Dallas, one to two to Chicago or Atlanta, two to Denver, and three to four to New York or Los Angeles. Ice or a tornado warning can add time.
Register within 60 calendar days of becoming a resident. Bring the title, a copy of your out-of-state registration, and proof of insurance. You also need proof from your county assessor that the car is assessed or listed for assessment, and proof that no personal property tax is owed. There is no safety or emissions inspection.
Sometimes at the door, often not. Eureka Springs' streets are steep and narrow, and many Ozark addresses are on winding two-lane roads with nowhere for a 75-foot rig to turn. The driver will ask to meet at a lot on I-49 or a four-lane highway. That spot is set with your coordinator before pickup day, and it adds nothing to the price.
Fayetteville to New York runs about $1,150 on an open carrier in October 2026, most trucks between roughly $990 and $1,310. The trip is 1,351 miles, so count about three days on the truck after pickup. New York to Little Rock, the other direction, is about $1,325 this month.
For a tornado warning, the driver pulls off until it passes, usually a delay of hours. Ice on I-40 or I-49 stops trucks until crews treat the road, which can hold an Ozark pickup a day or two. Your coordinator texts any change to the window, and the quoted price does not change.
The data
The numbers are rebuilt from our own pricing each month and published with the page, so the dates above are the real ones.
Other state guides
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