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State guide · October 2026
What it costs to ship a car to or from Iowa, why a pickup off I-80 or I-35 is quick and a farm-county pickup is slower, and what Iowa charges when a car from another state is registered here.
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 $555 from Cedar Rapids to New York and about $1,045 from New York to Des Moines. Des Moines to Dallas runs about $900, Cedar Rapids to Phoenix about $1,185, and Cedar Rapids to Orlando about $1,160. Towns off I-80, I-35, and I-380 can wait longer for a truck.
Leaving Iowa 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.
Denver
Dallas
New York
Orlando
Phoenix
Los Angeles
What it costs
Iowa sits in the middle of one of the main cross-country routes. I-80 runs the width of the state, from Council Bluffs across the Missouri River from Omaha, through Des Moines and Iowa City, to the Quad Cities on the Mississippi, and carriers running between Chicago and the West use it every day. I-35 crosses it at Des Moines on the way from Kansas City to Minneapolis, and I-29 follows the western edge through Sioux City. Those roads carry far more car haulers than Iowa's own population would bring in, and an address near them gets the benefit.
Prices on this page come from Iowa lanes we ran this month for a running sedan on an open carrier. Use them to plan; the calculator handles your exact ZIP pair. The text below covers what moves an Iowa shipment beyond the miles: how far the address is from the interstates, the snowbird lanes in the fall, ground blizzards and spring floods, and Iowa's fee for new 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 · 14 Iowa lanes
Approximate prices for a running sedan on an open carrier, from the Iowa lanes we priced this month. They are planning figures. Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, and the Quad Cities land toward the low end of a lane; small towns in northwest and southern Iowa can wait longer for a truck. About 30 seconds in the calculator gets you the exact figure.
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.
$555most trucks $445–$665
1,024 mi3 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–24 hours
Trucks take I-380 south to I-80 and stay on it nearly to the George Washington Bridge, about 1,024 miles. At about $555 it is the cheapest long lane on the Iowa board, because carriers that hauled cars west want a paying load back east. Count two to three days.
Price this route$1,045most trucks $720–$1,370
1,110 mi3 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–3 hours
The westbound run follows I-80 across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois into Des Moines and costs about $1,045, close to double the trip east. Most trucks land between about $720 and $1,370, so a pickup week with a few days of give helps land the lower end.
Price this route$1,185most trucks $985–$1,380
1,519 mi4 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–47 hours
This is the snowbird lane, about $1,185 in October 2026 for 1,519 miles. Trucks pick up I-80 west to Des Moines before turning southwest, and trailers fill fastest in October and November, when retirees want the car in Phoenix before Thanksgiving. Count three to four days on the road.
Price this route$1,200most trucks $1,000–$1,395
1,547 mi4 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–7 days
Coming home costs about $1,200, about what the trip south costs, and the busy weeks move to March and April. The run covers 1,547 miles, and an April trip can still meet a late snowstorm on the plains, so leave a spare day in the delivery plan.
Price this route$1,160most trucks $1,050–$1,270
1,277 mi3–4 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–4 days
Cedar Rapids to Orlando runs about $1,160 for 1,277 miles. Most trucks land between about $1,050 and $1,270, a tighter spread than the western lanes out of Iowa. October and November bring the Iowa snowbirds, so book two to three weeks out and expect about three days in transit.
Price this route$900most trucks $710–$1,090
744 mi2 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1 hour
I-35 runs the whole 744 miles, through Kansas City, Wichita and Oklahoma City, so this lane takes about two days with no detours. It costs about $900. Dallas to Cedar Rapids, the return lane, runs about $915 and takes the same two days.
Price this route| Lane | Miles | Approx. price | Most trucks | Truck assigned in | Transit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver, CO → Cedar Rapids, IA | 791 | $685 | $555–$810 | 1–3 days | 2 days | 791 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Dallas, TX → Cedar Rapids, IA | 819 | $915 | $635–$1,195 | 1 hour | 2–3 days | 819 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1 hour |
| Tyrone, PA → Ida Grove, IA | 1,018 | $1,350 | $1,025–$1,670 | 1–3 days | 3 days | 1,018 mi · 3 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Bellwood, PA → Ida Grove, IA | 1,026 | $1,380 | $1,055–$1,700 | 1–3 days | 3 days | 1,026 mi · 3 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| New York, NY → Des Moines, IA | 1,110 | $1,045 | $720–$1,370 | 1–3 hours | 3 days | 1,110 mi · 3 days · truck in 1–3 hours |
| Orlando, FL → Des Moines, IA | 1,347 | $1,335 | $1,160–$1,505 | 1–2 days | 3–4 days | 1,347 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–2 days |
| Phoenix, AZ → Des Moines, IA | 1,547 | $1,200 | $1,000–$1,395 | 1–7 days | 4 days | 1,547 mi · 4 days · truck in 1–7 days |
| Los Angeles, CA → Cedar Rapids, IA | 1,807 | $1,310 | $1,095–$1,520 | 1–5 days | 4–5 days | 1,807 mi · 4–5 days · truck in 1–5 days |
| Lane | Miles | Approx. price | Most trucks | Truck assigned in | Transit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines, IA → Denver, CO | 669 | $800 | $630–$965 | 1–4 hours | 2 days | 669 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–4 hours |
| Des Moines, IA → Dallas, TX | 744 | $900 | $710–$1,090 | 1 hour | 2 days | 744 mi · 2 days · truck in 1 hour |
| Cedar Rapids, IA → New York, NY | 1,024 | $555 | $445–$665 | 1–24 hours | 3 days | 1,024 mi · 3 days · truck in 1–24 hours |
| Cedar Rapids, IA → Orlando, FL | 1,277 | $1,160 | $1,050–$1,270 | 1–4 days | 3–4 days | 1,277 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–4 days |
| Cedar Rapids, IA → Phoenix, AZ | 1,519 | $1,185 | $985–$1,380 | 1–47 hours | 4 days | 1,519 mi · 4 days · truck in 1–47 hours |
| Des Moines, IA → Los Angeles, CA | 1,684 | $1,360 | $950–$1,770 | 1–6 days | 4–5 days | 1,684 mi · 4–5 days · truck in 1–6 days |
Your lane is not in the table? Every ZIP pair in Iowa prices the same way, in about 30 seconds.
Price my exact laneLocked 14 days · $0 until dispatch
Where in Iowa the car is decides how fast a truck comes and whether it reaches the door. Tap a city to price a pickup there.
Des Moines sits where I-35 crosses I-80, so carriers heading in four directions pass through the metro every day. Streets in Ankeny, Urbandale and West Des Moines usually take a carrier at the curb. New York to Des Moines runs about $1,045 this month and Des Moines to Dallas about $900. In August the State Fair crowds the east side near the fairgrounds.
Cedar Rapids is on I-380, about 20 miles north of I-80, and it is the cheapest place on our Iowa board to start an eastbound trip. Cedar Rapids to New York runs about $555 in October 2026. Carriers bound for Phoenix, about $1,185, and Orlando, about $1,160, load here too, mostly in the fall.
Ames is home to Iowa State, on I-35 about 30 miles north of Des Moines, with US-30 crossing it east to west. Students make up most shipments, in at mid-August and out in May. Apartment complexes near campus usually have a parking lot where the driver can load, which works better than a residence-hall curb on move-in day.
Price a pickup in AmesIowa City and Coralville sit on I-80 where I-380 starts north to Cedar Rapids. The University of Iowa and its hospitals bring students and medical residents in summer and send them out in May. Hawkeye football Saturdays fill the streets around Kinnick Stadium, so a fall pickup goes smoother on a weekday or at a lot off I-80 in Coralville.
Price a pickup in Iowa CityDavenport and Bettendorf are the Iowa half of the Quad Cities, where I-80 and I-74 cross the Mississippi into Illinois and I-280 loops around the south side. Chicago is under three hours east, so Quad Cities cars often ride with Chicago loads. Spring floods on the riverfront can close streets in downtown Davenport for days, which moves a pickup uphill.
Price a pickup in DavenportCouncil Bluffs faces Omaha across the Missouri River at the junction of I-80 and I-29, so trucks working the Nebraska side cross over without a detour. Big-box lots near the interchanges give a driver room to load. In a wet spring the Missouri can flood low ground along I-29 north and south of town and hold trucks until the water drops.
Price a pickup in Council BluffsSioux City sits on I-29 where Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota meet, about 95 miles up the river from Council Bluffs. It is the one large city in northwest Iowa, and farm-county customers from Le Mars or Ida Grove often meet the truck here. A shipment into that corner, Tyrone, Pennsylvania, to Ida Grove, ran about $1,350 this month.
Price a pickup in Sioux CityCedar Falls and Waterloo sit at the north end of I-380, with US-20 running east to Dubuque and west toward Fort Dodge. The University of Northern Iowa draws students in August and sends them home in May. John Deere builds tractors in Waterloo, and the wide roads and industrial lots around the plants make an easy meet-up for a 75-foot carrier.
Price a pickup in Cedar FallsThe cheapest way out of Iowa this month is east. Cedar Rapids to New York, 1,024 miles, runs about $555, because carriers that hauled cars west across I-80 want something to take back. Westbound costs more per mile. Des Moines to Los Angeles is about $1,360 and Des Moines to Denver about $800.
Fall is snowbird season here too. Iowa retirees head for Arizona, the Texas border towns, and Florida, and many of them want the car waiting when they arrive. Cedar Rapids to Phoenix runs about $1,185, Des Moines to Dallas about $900, and Cedar Rapids to Orlando about $1,160 right now. Book two to three weeks ahead in October and November, and give the driver a pickup window of a few days. Students leaving Iowa State, the University of Iowa, and the University of Northern Iowa in May, and families moving for work, account for most of the rest.
Most inbound lanes cost more than the trip out this month. New York to Des Moines is about $1,045, nearly twice the Cedar Rapids to New York price, and Orlando to Des Moines is about $1,335. Coming from the west is closer to even. Phoenix to Des Moines is about $1,200, Dallas to Cedar Rapids about $915, Los Angeles to Cedar Rapids about $1,310, and Denver to Cedar Rapids about $685.
The snowbirds come back in March and April, and the Arizona and Florida lanes into Iowa tighten for a few weeks. August brings students to Ames, Iowa City, Cedar Falls, and Drake University in Des Moines. Ames is right on I-35 and Iowa City on I-80, so both get trucks without trouble. Cedar Falls is a short run from I-380 by US-20. On move-in weekend the campus streets have no room for a carrier, so plan to meet the driver at a lot nearby.
The fast pickups are along the interstates. Des Moines, Ankeny, West Des Moines, and Ames sit on I-35 and I-80. Iowa City and Coralville are on I-80, Cedar Rapids and Waterloo on I-380, and Davenport and Bettendorf where I-80 meets I-74 at the Mississippi. Council Bluffs and Sioux City are on I-29 on the western edge. Addresses in or near any of these get a carrier quickly, and most suburban streets have room for curbside loading. Iowa City, Waterloo, and the Quad Cities share interstates with Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, the two cities we priced, and usually land close to them.
Iowa outside those corridors is farm country, small towns spread across long county roads. Northwest Iowa around Spencer and Storm Lake, and southern towns along the Missouri line such as Centerville and Bloomfield, are an hour or more from an interstate, and a driver may need a few extra days to fit a single car into a route. Gravel roads and farm lanes are hard on a 75-foot carrier. If the address is on one, the usual fix is to meet the driver in town on a paved road, at a grain elevator lot, a school, or a Casey's. During harvest, from September into November, slow farm equipment on the county roads can stretch the pickup time.
Iowa's winter problem is wind. On open farmland, a moderate snowfall becomes a ground blizzard when the wind picks up, visibility drops to nothing, and the state closes stretches of I-80, I-35, or I-29 until it clears. Carriers wait it out, usually a day or two. Your coordinator texts you the new pickup window. The quoted price does not change.
Spring brings its own holds. Snowmelt and heavy rain can flood the Missouri River valley along I-29 and the river towns on the Mississippi, and severe storms and tornado warnings pause loading for an afternoon. In August the Iowa State Fair draws big crowds to the east side of Des Moines, and a pickup near the fairgrounds is easier another week. If you can pick, late spring after the flood season and early fall before harvest are the easiest weeks to ship a car in or out of Iowa.
The day before pickup, your coordinator texts the window. The driver calls about 24 hours ahead.
Calendar
When the same lanes get busy, and what that does to your pickup week.
How busy the Iowa lanes get each month, from our coordinators’ calendar. Busier months fill trucks sooner and cost more.
Iowa rules
The rules that catch people who bring a car in from another state.
Rules as of the review date below. The Iowa Department of Transportation's Motor Vehicle Division is the source, and your county treasurer handles the registration and the fee for new registration.
Questions
In October 2026, Cedar Rapids to New York runs about $555 for a running sedan on an open carrier, with most trucks between roughly $445 and $665. New York to Des Moines, heading west, is about $1,045. A quote on your exact ZIP pair is held in writing for 14 days.
Cedar Rapids to Phoenix runs about $1,185 in October 2026, most trucks between roughly $985 and $1,380. Phoenix to Des Moines, coming back, is about $1,200. October and November are the busy weeks going south, March and April coming north. Count three to four days in transit after pickup.
Cedar Rapids to Orlando runs about $1,160 in October 2026, most trucks between roughly $1,050 and $1,270. Orlando to Des Moines, heading north, is about $1,335. Book two to three weeks ahead in the fall snowbird window. Count about three days in transit.
Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and the other interstate cities usually get a carrier within a few days; rural towns can take longer. One driver covers about 400 to 500 miles a day, so Dallas is about two days away, New York or Florida two to three, and California three to four. Winter closures can add a day or two.
Sometimes, if the road is paved and there is room to turn a 75-foot rig. Gravel roads, farm lanes, and soft ground in spring are a problem, so most rural pickups happen in the nearest town, at a school, an elevator lot, or a gas station with space. The meeting spot is agreed with your coordinator before booking.
Iowa charges a fee for new registration, 5% of the purchase price, the first time a car is registered here. If you are moving to Iowa and bought the car for use in the state you came from, it is exempt, and any sales or use tax you paid to another state is credited. Your county treasurer handles it.
Los Angeles to Cedar Rapids runs about $1,310 on an open carrier in October 2026, most trucks between roughly $1,095 and $1,520. Des Moines to Los Angeles, heading west, is about $1,360. Count about four days in transit after pickup.
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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