Licensed & bonded brokerFMCSA MC-1496533USDOT 3990000
Mon–Sat 9am–7pm ET$0 upfrontCancel free before dispatch
State guide · October 2026
What it costs to ship a car to or from Colorado, why the Front Range and the mountain towns are different jobs for a carrier, and what Colorado asks for when a car arrives 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
Prefer a human? Call (917) 594-5566. A coordinator answers.
The short answer
In October 2026, a running sedan on an open carrier costs about $1,370 from New York to Denver and about $705 from Dallas to Denver. Leaving is cheaper: Denver to Chicago about $570, Denver to Los Angeles about $645. Front Range pickups on I-25 move fastest; mountain towns off I-70 often meet the truck on the interstate.
A loaded car carrier runs about 75 feet. These are the Colorado addresses where it can’t reach the door, and what happens instead. Your coordinator settles it before you book.
What it costs
On most pairs of lanes we priced this month, a car leaving Colorado costs less than one arriving; Dallas is the even one. Chicago to Colorado Springs is about $960, while Denver to Chicago is about $570. Los Angeles to Colorado Springs is about $990, and Denver to Los Angeles about $645. That pattern usually means more cars are heading in than out, so carriers leaving the Front Range price lower to fill the trailer.
The figures here are this month's planning prices for a running sedan on an open carrier. Beyond the numbers, a Colorado move depends on whether the address is on I-25 between Fort Collins and Pueblo, where trucks pass every day, or up in the mountains, where winter, the chain law, and narrow resort streets set the schedule. The registration end has its own steps, starting with a VIN verification before the county will register a car from another state.
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 · 50 Colorado lanes
Approximate prices for a running sedan on an open carrier, from the Colorado lanes we priced this month. They are planning figures. Denver, Colorado Springs, and the rest of the I-25 corridor price at the low end; ski towns and the Western Slope cost more and take longer to assign. The calculator turns your two ZIP codes into an exact number 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.
$1,370most trucks $1,105–$1,640
1,778 mi4–5 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–10 hours
About $1,370 this month for 1,778 miles, west on I-80 or I-70 across Pennsylvania, Ohio, and the Plains. Denver to New York costs about $1,070, so arriving costs about 28 percent more than leaving on this pair.
Price this route$705most trucks $585–$820
796 mi2 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–3 days
US-287 runs northwest through Wichita Falls and Amarillo, then across the high plains into Colorado, about 796 miles. About $705 this month, and Colorado Springs to Dallas costs about $695, an unusually even pair for Colorado.
Price this route$960most trucks $790–$1,125
1,074 mi3 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–15 hours
I-80 across Iowa and Nebraska, I-76 into Denver, then I-25 south, about 1,074 miles. About $960 this month, against about $570 for Denver to Chicago, the widest gap among the paired Colorado lanes we priced.
Price this route$570most trucks $400–$735
1,002 mi3 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–3 days
About $570 this month, most trucks between $400 and $735, for 1,002 miles on I-76 and I-80. Carriers that brought cars west to the Front Range want a load for the trip home, which keeps this lane cheap.
Price this route$695most trucks $560–$830
727 mi2 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–16 hours
Southeast across the plains to Amarillo, then down US-287, about 727 miles. About $695 this month, and the summer PCS rotation at Fort Carson is the time to book this lane early.
Price this route$645most trucks $465–$820
1,017 mi3 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–2 days
I-70 west through the mountains to I-15 in Utah, then down through Las Vegas, about 1,017 miles. About $645 this month. When Glenwood Canyon or Vail Pass closes, trucks may switch to I-80 through Wyoming or I-40 through Albuquerque.
Price this route| Lane | Miles | Approx. price | Most trucks | Truck assigned in | Transit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln, NE → Denver, CO | 484 | $525 | $485–$565 | 1–19 hours | 1–2 days | 484 mi · 1–2 days · truck in 1–19 hours |
| Billings, MT → Denver, CO | 565 | $700 | $565–$835 | 1–3 days | 2 days | 565 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Sioux Falls, SD → Denver, CO | 628 | $555 | $470–$640 | 1–4 days | 2 days | 628 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–4 days |
| Des Moines, IA → Denver, CO | 669 | $800 | $630–$965 | 1–4 hours | 2 days | 669 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–4 hours |
| Las Cruces, NM → Denver, CO | 672 | $695 | $430–$960 | 1–3 days | 2 days | 672 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Tulsa, OK → Denver, CO | 691 | $680 | $540–$815 | 1–3 days | 2 days | 691 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Dallas, TX → Denver, CO | 796 | $705 | $585–$820 | 1–3 days | 2 days | 796 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Fargo, ND → Denver, CO | 862 | $885 | $645–$1,120 | 1–8 hours | 2–3 days | 862 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–8 hours |
| Tucson, AZ → Denver, CO | 895 | $970 | $810–$1,125 | 1–19 hours | 2–3 days | 895 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–19 hours |
| Phoenix, AZ → Denver, CO | 911 | $940 | $675–$1,205 | 1–23 hours | 2–3 days | 911 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–23 hours |
| Minneapolis, MN → Denver, CO | 913 | $835 | $665–$1,000 | 1–15 hours | 2–3 days | 913 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–15 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 |
| Reno, NV → Denver, CO | 1,050 | $955 | $760–$1,150 | 1–7 days | 3 days | 1,050 mi · 3 days · truck in 1–7 days |
| Coeur d'Alene, ID → Denver, CO | 1,058 | $1,020 | $845–$1,195 | 1–47 hours | 3 days | 1,058 mi · 3 days · truck in 1–47 hours |
| Chicago, IL → Colorado Springs, CO | 1,074 | $960 | $790–$1,125 | 1–15 hours | 3 days | 1,074 mi · 3 days · truck in 1–15 hours |
| Indianapolis, IN → Denver, CO | 1,083 | $1,060 | $865–$1,255 | 1–27 hours | 3 days | 1,083 mi · 3 days · truck in 1–27 hours |
| Los Angeles, CA → Colorado Springs, CO | 1,084 | $990 | $830–$1,150 | 1–20 hours | 3 days | 1,084 mi · 3 days · truck in 1–20 hours |
| Baton Rouge, LA → Denver, CO | 1,220 | $1,325 | $920–$1,735 | 1–15 hours | 3–4 days | 1,220 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–15 hours |
| Jackson, MS → Denver, CO | 1,224 | $1,380 | $975–$1,790 | 1–15 hours | 3–4 days | 1,224 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–15 hours |
| Portland, OR → Denver, CO | 1,255 | $1,150 | $790–$1,510 | 1–3 days | 3–4 days | 1,255 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Seattle, WA → Denver, CO | 1,316 | $1,170 | $910–$1,435 | 1–4 days | 3–4 days | 1,316 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–4 days |
| Seattle, WA → Colorado Springs, CO | 1,400 | $1,175 | $945–$1,405 | 1–4 days | 3–4 days | 1,400 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–4 days |
| New York, NY → Denver, CO | 1,778 | $1,370 | $1,105–$1,640 | 1–10 hours | 4–5 days | 1,778 mi · 4–5 days · truck in 1–10 hours |
| Orlando, FL → Denver, CO | 1,847 | $1,190 | $985–$1,395 | 1–16 hours | 4–5 days | 1,847 mi · 4–5 days · truck in 1–16 hours |
| Lane | Miles | Approx. price | Most trucks | Truck assigned in | Transit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver, CO → Rapid City, SD | 409 | $685 | $560–$815 | 1–24 hours | 1–2 days | 409 mi · 1–2 days · truck in 1–24 hours |
| Denver, CO → Albuquerque, NM | 448 | $520 | $375–$665 | 1–20 hours | 1–2 days | 448 mi · 1–2 days · truck in 1–20 hours |
| Denver, CO → Omaha, NE | 542 | $550 | $460–$640 | 1–19 hours | 2 days | 542 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–19 hours |
| Denver, CO → Oklahoma City, OK | 677 | $680 | $535–$830 | 1–2 days | 2 days | 677 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–2 days |
| Denver, CO → Bismarck, ND | 716 | $795 | $655–$940 | 1–28 hours | 2 days | 716 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–28 hours |
| Colorado Springs, CO → Dallas, TX | 727 | $695 | $560–$830 | 1–16 hours | 2 days | 727 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–16 hours |
| Denver, CO → Las Vegas, NV | 748 | $705 | $490–$915 | 1–18 hours | 2 days | 748 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–18 hours |
| Denver, CO → Cedar Rapids, IA | 791 | $685 | $555–$810 | 1–3 days | 2 days | 791 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Denver, CO → Fayetteville, AR | 797 | $750 | $685–$810 | 1–44 hours | 2 days | 797 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–44 hours |
| Colorado Springs, CO → Phoenix, AZ | 841 | $655 | $520–$790 | 1–19 hours | 2–3 days | 841 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–19 hours |
| Denver, CO → Boise, ID | 841 | $900 | $740–$1,055 | 1–24 hours | 2–3 days | 841 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–24 hours |
| Denver, CO → Rochester, MN | 873 | $710 | $645–$770 | 1–3 days | 2–3 days | 873 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Denver, CO → Missoula, MT | 894 | $1,055 | $850–$1,255 | 1–16 hours | 2–3 days | 894 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–16 hours |
| Denver, CO → Phoenix, AZ | 911 | $670 | $545–$795 | 1–19 hours | 2–3 days | 911 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–19 hours |
| Steamboat Springs, CO → Laguna Beach, CA | 977 | $775 | $585–$965 | 1–23 hours | 2–3 days | 977 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–23 hours |
| Denver, CO → Chicago, IL | 1,002 | $570 | $400–$735 | 1–3 days | 3 days | 1,002 mi · 3 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Denver, CO → Los Angeles, CA | 1,017 | $645 | $465–$820 | 1–2 days | 3 days | 1,017 mi · 3 days · truck in 1–2 days |
| Denver, CO → Spokane, WA | 1,092 | $1,145 | $830–$1,455 | 1–18 hours | 3 days | 1,092 mi · 3 days · truck in 1–18 hours |
| Denver, CO → Fort Wayne, IN | 1,147 | $960 | $780–$1,135 | 1–3 days | 3 days | 1,147 mi · 3 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Denver, CO → New Orleans, LA | 1,299 | $1,180 | $940–$1,420 | 1–7 hours | 3–4 days | 1,299 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–7 hours |
| Denver, CO → Eugene, OR | 1,302 | $955 | $840–$1,070 | 1–3 days | 3–4 days | 1,302 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Denver, CO → Seattle, WA | 1,316 | $930 | $820–$1,040 | 1–2 days | 3–4 days | 1,316 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–2 days |
| Denver, CO → Gulfport, MS | 1,380 | $1,095 | $855–$1,335 | 1–3 days | 3–4 days | 1,380 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Denver, CO → New York, NY | 1,778 | $1,070 | $835–$1,300 | 1–18 hours | 4–5 days | 1,778 mi · 4–5 days · truck in 1–18 hours |
| Colorado Springs, CO → New York, NY | 1,803 | $1,280 | $1,040–$1,515 | 1–44 hours | 4–5 days | 1,803 mi · 4–5 days · truck in 1–44 hours |
| Denver, CO → Orlando, FL | 1,847 | $1,050 | $805–$1,295 | 1–17 hours | 4–5 days | 1,847 mi · 4–5 days · truck in 1–17 hours |
Your lane is not in the table? Every ZIP pair in Colorado prices the same way, in about 30 seconds.
Price my exact laneLocked 14 days · $0 until dispatch
Where in Colorado the car is decides how fast a truck comes and whether it reaches the door. Tap a city to price a pickup there.
I-25, I-70, and I-76 meet in Denver, and car haulers crossing the Plains or coming down from Wyoming pass the city every day. Denver to Chicago costs about $570 this month and Denver to Los Angeles about $645, while New York to Denver runs about $1,370. Downtown high-rises and LoDo's tight streets mean a curbside or nearby-lot pickup.
Orders for Fort Carson, Peterson and Schriever Space Force Bases, and the Air Force Academy make June through August the crowded months in Colorado Springs. The city sits on I-25 about 70 miles south of Denver. Chicago to Colorado Springs costs about $960 this month, Colorado Springs to Dallas about $695, and Seattle to Colorado Springs about $1,175.
Aurora sits on I-70, I-225, and E-470 east of Denver. Buckley Space Force Base brings PCS moves, the Anschutz Medical Campus brings medical residents and staff, and dealers move cars through the Manheim Denver auction in the city. Subdivision streets on the east side are usually wide enough for a carrier to load at the door.
Price a pickup in AuroraBoulder is about 25 miles from I-25 on US-36. CU Boulder's August move-in and May move-out are the busy weeks, and the University Hill streets next to campus are too tight for a full-size carrier, so student pickups often meet at a lot along US-36 or 28th Street.
Price a pickup in BoulderFort Collins sits a few miles west of I-25 near the Wyoming line, so carriers running between Denver and Cheyenne pass it daily. Colorado State University's move-in fills late August. Fort Collins is inside the North Front Range emissions area, so a car registered here from another state needs an Air Care Colorado test.
Price a pickup in Fort CollinsGrand Junction is the last big stop on I-70 before Utah, about 245 miles west of Denver. Colorado Mesa University's August move-in is the busy week. When Glenwood Canyon closes, trucks heading east face long two-lane detours, so a winter pickup here needs a window of several days.
Price a pickup in Grand JunctionSteamboat Springs is a ski town on US-40, and carriers reach it over Rabbit Ears Pass, where winter storms can hold a truck for hours. Steamboat Springs to Laguna Beach, California, costs about $775 this month. Condo complexes near the ski area have little room to turn a 75-foot rig, so plan on a handoff at a lot downtown.
Most cars that come to Colorado on a truck end up somewhere along I-25. Relocations to Denver, Aurora, Boulder, and Fort Collins run all year. Colorado Springs has its own steady flow from the military. Fort Carson, Peterson and Schriever Space Force Bases, and the Air Force Academy all sit within a short drive of the city, and Buckley Space Force Base is in Aurora. Orders cluster in summer, so Colorado Springs inbound lanes are busiest June through August.
This month New York to Denver costs about $1,370 for a running sedan, most trucks between $1,105 and $1,640. Dallas to Denver is about $705, Phoenix to Denver about $940, and Seattle to Colorado Springs about $1,175. Dealers buy and sell through Manheim Denver in Aurora all year. Students add a late-summer bump for CU Boulder, Colorado State in Fort Collins, the University of Denver, and Colorado School of Mines in Golden, and a smaller one in May when they leave.
Outbound is where Colorado prices well. Denver to Chicago costs about $570 this month, most trucks between $400 and $735, and Denver to Los Angeles about $645. Colorado Springs to Dallas is about $695 and to Phoenix about $655. Even the long run east follows the pattern. Colorado Springs to New York is about $1,280, against about $1,370 for New York to Denver.
A carrier leaving Colorado wants an easy load, so a pickup in a Denver suburb or a Colorado Springs business-park lot gets accepted fast. A pickup in Breckenridge, Vail, Aspen, or Steamboat Springs is a different request. Those towns sit on two-lane state highways or in resort villages where a 75-foot rig has nowhere to turn, so the driver will usually ask to meet at a lot near the interstate, in Frisco, Silverthorne, or Glenwood Springs for example. A carrier can reach Aspen only one way. Independence Pass bars vehicles over 35 feet and closes all winter, so an Aspen car comes and goes through Glenwood Springs on Highway 82. Plan for that drive, and for a day or two longer to assign a truck.
I-25 is the backbone. It runs from the Wyoming line past Fort Collins, Loveland, and Denver to Colorado Springs and Pueblo, and most car haulers that enter the state use it. I-70 crosses east to west, flat from Kansas to Denver and then up into the mountains through the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel, over Vail Pass, and through Glenwood Canyon to Grand Junction. I-76 leaves Denver to the northeast toward Nebraska and I-80.
Anything on I-25 between Fort Collins and Pueblo prices at the low end and gets picked up fastest. Grand Junction, at the far western end of I-70, is still an interstate city but sees fewer trucks. Durango, Telluride, Crested Butte, Gunnison, and the San Luis Valley are well off any interstate, and so are the ski towns tucked up side roads from I-70. For those, a meet-up on the corridor is the usual plan.
From September through May, commercial vehicles on I-70 in the mountains must carry chains, and CDOT activates the chain law when conditions call for it. Snow, crashes, and avalanche control close the tunnel approaches and Vail Pass several times a winter, and Glenwood Canyon was shut for two weeks in August 2021 when debris flows came off a burn scar. CDOT still closes the canyon whenever a flash-flood warning covers that scar. When I-70 shuts, a carrier either waits or takes a long way around, and a mountain pickup or delivery slips a day or two. Your coordinator texts the new window; the price you were quoted does not change.
The Front Range is easier but not immune. March is Denver's snowiest month on average, and a heavy spring storm can close I-25 for a day. If your timing is flexible, the calmest months for a Colorado shipment are June through September, with the summer PCS rush in Colorado Springs the one thing to book ahead for.
The driver rings about 24 hours out. A text from your coordinator the day before locks in the window.
On every pair priced this month, leaving Colorado costs less than coming in. 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
Phoenix
Chicago
Los Angeles
Seattle
New York
Calendar
When the same lanes get busy, and what that does to your pickup week.
How busy the Colorado lanes get each month, from our coordinators’ calendar. Busier months fill trucks sooner and cost more.
Colorado rules
The rules that catch people who bring a car in from another state.
Rules as of the review date below. The Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles is the source for registration and VIN verification, and CDOT for I-70 conditions; check both before you move.
Questions
In October 2026, New York to Denver runs about $1,370 for a running sedan on an open carrier, most trucks between roughly $1,105 and $1,640. Dallas to Denver is about $705, Chicago to Colorado Springs about $960, and Los Angeles to Colorado Springs about $990. Your own ZIP pair prices in the calculator in about 30 seconds, and the quote is good for 14 days.
On most lane pairs we priced this month the outbound side was cheaper, sometimes by a lot. Denver to Chicago is about $570 while Chicago to Colorado Springs is about $960. That usually means more cars are arriving on these routes than leaving, so carriers heading out of the Front Range price lower to fill the trailer.
Count a day or two to assign a carrier on the Front Range, longer for a mountain town, then about 400 to 500 miles a day on the truck. That is about two days from Dallas or Phoenix, two to three from Chicago or Los Angeles, three to four from New York. I-70 closures in winter can add a day or two in the mountains.
Usually to a nearby lot rather than the door. Resort villages and mountain roads have no room for a 75-foot rig to turn, so the driver meets you near the interstate, often in Frisco, Silverthorne, or Glenwood Springs. Your coordinator agrees the spot with you before delivery day. Expect a day or two longer to assign the truck than for a Denver address.
A VIN verification on form DR 2698, done by Colorado law enforcement, a licensed inspection station, or a licensed dealer, plus Colorado insurance and, in the Denver metro and North Front Range counties, an emissions test for gas cars older than seven model years. You have 90 days from becoming a resident, and you pay specific ownership tax with the registration.
Colorado Springs to Dallas runs about $695 on an open carrier in October 2026, most trucks between about $560 and $830, for 727 miles. The reverse, Dallas to Denver, is about $705. It is close to two days on the truck either way, plus assignment time.
The carrier waits for CDOT to reopen the road or takes another route, and your coordinator texts you the new window. Tunnel and Vail Pass closures usually last hours; a big storm or a canyon closure can hold a mountain pickup a day or two. 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
or call (917) 594-5566. A person answers.
