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State guide · October 2026
What it costs to ship a car to or from Minnesota, where the carriers run between the Twin Cities, Rochester and Duluth, and how a Minnesota winter changes the plan.
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 $1,215 from Rochester to Phoenix and about $1,050 from Minneapolis to Orlando. Minneapolis to Dallas runs about $855. Coming in, New York to Minneapolis is about $1,100 and Los Angeles to Minneapolis about $1,450. Book fall snowbird moves two to three weeks ahead.
Calendar
When the same lanes get busy, and what that does to your pickup week.
How busy the Minnesota lanes get each month, from our coordinators’ calendar. Busier months fill trucks sooner and cost more.
What it costs
Ask a Minnesota carrier about timing and the answer starts with the weather. Snowbirds who winter in Arizona, the Texas valley or Florida want the car gone before the first serious snow, which makes October and November the busy southbound months. In winter, MnDOT can swing closure gates across I-90 and I-94 when blowing snow shuts the open prairie in the west. In spring the frost comes out of the ground and load limits go on, zone by zone, for about two months.
The table below uses Minnesota lanes we priced in October 2026, for a running sedan on an open carrier. Minneapolis and Rochester are the two ends we priced, and both sit close to an interstate. Brainerd, Bemidji, the Iron Range and the North Shore are farther from the trucks, and the sections below explain what that does to the wait. Further down are the 60-day registration rule and Minnesota's no-fault insurance minimums.
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 · 15 Minnesota lanes
Approximate prices for a running sedan on an open carrier, from the Minnesota lanes we priced in October 2026, meant for planning. Lanes south to Arizona and Florida are busiest in October and November. Your ZIP pair, vehicle and week set the final number, and the calculator prices them 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.
$1,215most trucks $1,010–$1,420
1,753 mi4–5 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–11 hours
The main snowbird lane out of southern Minnesota, about 1,750 miles by I-35 south and I-40 west. Rochester to Phoenix costs about $1,215 this month, and late October through November is when it fills.
Price this route$1,050most trucks $830–$1,275
1,580 mi4 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–3 days
About 1,580 miles through the Midwest, ending on I-75 into Florida. Minneapolis to Orlando costs about $1,050 in October 2026, close to Orlando to Rochester at about $1,065, so neither direction carries much of a premium yet.
Price this route$855most trucks $770–$940
990 mi2–3 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–20 hours
I-35 links the two cities the whole 990 miles, through Des Moines, Kansas City and Oklahoma City. The lane costs about $855 with a tight band of $770 to $940, and the car spends two to three days on the truck.
Price this route$710most trucks $545–$875
1,139 mi3 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–25 hours
Eastbound trucks out of Minnesota run I-90 through Chicago and across Ohio. Rochester to New York costs about $710, while New York to Minneapolis runs about $1,100, which makes the trip east the cheaper one by a wide margin.
Price this route$1,415most trucks $1,045–$1,785
1,793 mi4–5 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–15 days
Snowbirds coming home in March and April fill this lane. Phoenix to Minneapolis already runs about $1,415 this month, and its band of $1,045 to $1,785 is the widest in the Minnesota table, so a flexible window pays off most here.
Price this route$1,100most trucks $895–$1,305
1,206 mi3–4 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–3 days
Westbound trucks take I-80 or I-90 to Chicago and I-94 the rest of the way. At about $1,100, with most trucks between $895 and $1,305, New York to Minneapolis costs far more than Rochester to New York at about $710.
Price this route| Lane | Miles | Approx. price | Most trucks | Truck assigned in | Transit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver, CO → Rochester, MN | 873 | $710 | $645–$770 | 1–3 days | 2–3 days | 873 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Dallas, TX → Rochester, MN | 950 | $865 | $720–$1,005 | 1–16 hours | 2–3 days | 950 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–16 hours |
| New York, NY → Minneapolis, MN | 1,206 | $1,100 | $895–$1,305 | 1–3 days | 3–4 days | 1,206 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Orlando, FL → Rochester, MN | 1,514 | $1,065 | $865–$1,265 | 1–3 days | 4 days | 1,514 mi · 4 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Sarasota, FL → Minneapolis, MN | 1,653 | $1,200 | $950–$1,455 | 1–18 hours | 4–5 days | 1,653 mi · 4–5 days · truck in 1–18 hours |
| Phoenix, AZ → Minneapolis, MN | 1,793 | $1,415 | $1,045–$1,785 | 1–15 days | 4–5 days | 1,793 mi · 4–5 days · truck in 1–15 days |
| Los Angeles, CA → Minneapolis, MN | 1,927 | $1,450 | $1,300–$1,600 | 1–6 days | 4–5 days | 1,927 mi · 4–5 days · truck in 1–6 days |
| Lane | Miles | Approx. price | Most trucks | Truck assigned in | Transit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Minneapolis, MN → Dallas, TX | 990 | $855 | $770–$940 | 1–20 hours | 2–3 days | 990 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–20 hours |
| Rochester, MN → New York, NY | 1,139 | $710 | $545–$875 | 1–25 hours | 3 days | 1,139 mi · 3 days · truck in 1–25 hours |
| Minneapolis, MN → Orlando, FL | 1,580 | $1,050 | $830–$1,275 | 1–3 days | 4 days | 1,580 mi · 4 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Rochester, MN → Phoenix, AZ | 1,753 | $1,215 | $1,010–$1,420 | 1–11 hours | 4–5 days | 1,753 mi · 4–5 days · truck in 1–11 hours |
| Minneapolis, MN → Naples, FL | 1,757 | $1,080 | $955–$1,205 | 1–6 days | 4–5 days | 1,757 mi · 4–5 days · truck in 1–6 days |
| Minneapolis, MN → Tucson, AZ | 1,777 | $1,180 | $1,005–$1,350 | 1–4 days | 4–5 days | 1,777 mi · 4–5 days · truck in 1–4 days |
| Rochester, MN → Los Angeles, CA | 1,888 | $1,160 | $865–$1,455 | 1–6 days | 4–5 days | 1,888 mi · 4–5 days · truck in 1–6 days |
Your lane is not in the table? Every ZIP pair in Minnesota prices the same way, in about 30 seconds.
Price my exact laneLocked 14 days · $0 until dispatch
Where in Minnesota the car is decides how fast a truck comes and whether it reaches the door. Tap a city to price a pickup there.
Minneapolis sits where I-94 crosses I-35W, the easiest pickup in Minnesota for a passing carrier. Minneapolis to Orlando runs about $1,050 this October, Minneapolis to Dallas about $855 and Minneapolis to Naples about $1,080. When the city declares a snow emergency, parking rules change street by street, and a winter pickup may move to a lot off I-94.
St. Paul is on I-94 and I-35E, about ten miles east of downtown Minneapolis. The Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights crowds Snelling Avenue and the roads around the fairgrounds for the 12 days ending on Labor Day, so plan a late-August delivery around it. Macalester, St. Thomas and Hamline students arrive during the same weeks.
Price a pickup in St. PaulMayo Clinic brings patients, medical residents and staff to Rochester from across the country, and the city sits about ten miles north of I-90 on US-52. Rochester to New York costs about $710 this month and Rochester to Phoenix about $1,215. Inbound, Denver to Rochester is about $710 and Orlando to Rochester about $1,065.
Duluth is at the north end of I-35, on hillsides that drop steeply to Lake Superior. A loaded carrier stays off the steep residential streets, especially once the snow starts, so the hand-off usually happens near the freeway or in the big lots by Miller Hill Mall. University of Minnesota Duluth students move in during late August.
Price a pickup in DuluthSt. Cloud is on I-94 and US-10, about 65 miles northwest of Minneapolis, and it is the usual meet-up town for cars coming down from the Brainerd lakes. St. Cloud State students move in during late August. Carriers running between the Twin Cities and Fargo pass through, so an address in town gets a truck about as quickly as the metro.
Price a pickup in St. CloudMankato, home to Minnesota State University, sits on US-169 and US-14 about 80 miles southwest of the Twin Cities. A truck has to leave I-35 to reach it, so an assignment can take a little longer than in the metro. Students arrive in late August and leave in May, and those weeks fill first.
Price a pickup in MankatoBrainerd is the center of the lakes area, on MN-371 and MN-210, about 60 miles north of St. Cloud. Cabin owners bring cars up in late spring and take them south again in the fall. Lake lanes and gravel drives rarely fit a 75-foot rig, so most hand-offs happen at a store lot in Baxter or Brainerd.
Price a pickup in BrainerdMinnesota's snowbirds head for the Phoenix area, the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, or Florida, and they leave on roughly the same calendar, after the cabin is closed and before Thanksgiving. This month Rochester to Phoenix runs about $1,215 over 1,753 miles and Minneapolis to Orlando about $1,050 over 1,580. The return trip goes the other way in March and April, and Phoenix to Minneapolis already costs about $1,415.
A few things make a southbound move from Minnesota go well. Book two to three weeks out if the date falls in late October or November. Give the coordinator a window of several days, because a truck that can load on Tuesday or Thursday is easier to find than one that must load Wednesday. If the car is at a lake place up north, ship it from the Twin Cities house instead; Minneapolis sits on I-94 and I-35 and gets trucks faster than a cabin road near Brainerd.
More than half of Minnesotans live in the Twin Cities metro, so that is where most inbound deliveries go. Rochester draws its own share because Mayo Clinic is the city's largest employer. Orlando to Rochester runs about $1,065 in October 2026, Dallas to Rochester about $865, and Denver to Rochester about $710. New York to Minneapolis is about $1,100.
Students arrive in late August. The University of Minnesota has campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and in Duluth on I-35. St. Cloud State is on I-94, Minnesota State in Mankato is about an hour southwest of the metro on US-169, and Carleton and St. Olaf are both in Northfield, a few miles east of I-35. Manheim's Minneapolis auction sends wholesale cars out to dealers year round. A buyer shipping one home needs the gate release and the buyer number ready for the driver.
Three interstates carry most car haulers through the state. I-94 runs from Moorhead, across from Fargo, through Alexandria and St. Cloud to the Twin Cities and on to Wisconsin. I-35 comes up from Iowa through Albert Lea, Owatonna and Faribault, splits into I-35W and I-35E across the metro, and ends in Duluth. I-90 crosses the south from Worthington to Albert Lea and Austin and on to La Crescent on the Mississippi. Rochester sits about ten miles north of I-90, and US-52 links it to the Twin Cities.
The lake country is where the waits grow. Brainerd, Bemidji, Grand Rapids and the Iron Range towns, International Falls, and the North Shore from Two Harbors to Grand Marais are all a long way from the nearest interstate, on two-lane highways. A truck has to come off the main lanes and back again, so these pickups usually wait longer for an assignment. Meeting the driver in St. Cloud, Duluth or a metro lot near I-94 is the common fix. Cabin roads, lake association lanes and gravel drives with low branches are other reasons a driver will ask to meet somewhere wider.
MnDOT and the State Patrol keep permanent closure gates on I-90 from the South Dakota line to I-35, and on I-94 in the west, and they close them when blowing snow wipes out visibility. In past storms I-94 has been shut from Alexandria to Moorhead and I-90 west of Albert Lea. Driving past a closed gate is illegal, so the carrier waits. A closure usually holds a truck for a day or two, and your coordinator texts the new window when the road opens.
Spring load restrictions are the other seasonal hold. MnDOT starts them by frost zone, usually beginning in the South, Southeast and Metro zones in early March and reaching the North zone a week or more later, and they usually last around eight weeks. Restricted routes and county roads post lower axle limits, so a loaded car hauler may be kept on the interstates and main highways. In March and April a pickup on a township road often becomes a meet-up on the nearest state highway. The quoted price stays the same.
Your coordinator confirms the pickup window by text the day before.
Leaving Minnesota costs less on 5 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
Minnesota rules
The rules that catch people who bring a car in from another state.
Rules as of the review date below. Driver and Vehicle Services, part of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, is the source for registration and titles, and the one to check before you register.
Questions
In October 2026, Rochester to Phoenix runs about $1,215 for a running sedan on an open carrier, with most trucks between roughly $1,010 and $1,420. Snowbirds use it heavily, and October and November are its busy months. The coming-home direction, Phoenix to Minneapolis, is about $1,415 this month. The calculator prices your exact ZIP pair and holds the figure for 14 days.
Minneapolis to Orlando runs about $1,050 on an open carrier in October 2026, most trucks between roughly $830 and $1,275. The other way, Orlando to Rochester, is about $1,065. The trip is about 1,500 to 1,600 miles, so count three to four days on the truck after pickup.
A day or two to assign a carrier from the Twin Cities or Rochester, longer from lake country or the North Shore. Transit runs about 400 to 500 miles a day: two to three days to Dallas or New York, three to four to Florida or Phoenix, four to five to Los Angeles. A blizzard closure can add a day or two between December and March.
Often, though not always at the door. A 75-foot rig cannot work a lake lane, a gravel drive with tight turns, or a road under spring load limits. The usual fix is meeting the driver in town on a state highway, or moving the car to the Twin Cities, St. Cloud or Duluth first. Your coordinator confirms the spot before you book.
Within 60 days of moving here. The clock is shorter if your out-of-state registration runs out first, and it is immediate if your old state required you to surrender the plates. There is no safety or emissions inspection. You need Minnesota no-fault insurance, at least $30,000/$60,000 bodily injury, $10,000 property damage and $40,000 PIP, and the most recent out-of-state title.
The carrier waits until MnDOT opens the gates, because driving past a closed gate is illegal. Most closures last a day or two. Your coordinator texts the new pickup window when the road reopens, and the quoted price stays the same.
Rochester to New York runs about $710 for a running sedan on an open carrier in October 2026, most trucks between roughly $545 and $875. Coming the other way costs more: New York to Minneapolis is about $1,100. The trip is about 1,100 to 1,200 miles, two to three days in transit.
Rochester to Los Angeles runs about $1,160 on an open carrier in October 2026, with a wide band of roughly $865 to $1,455. Los Angeles to Minneapolis is about $1,450, most trucks between $1,300 and $1,600. Count four to five days in transit for the roughly 1,900 miles.
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.
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