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State guide · October 2026
What it costs to move a car into or out of Washington, how the trucks cross the Cascades, and why a Seattle pickup and a Spokane pickup are priced as two different trips.
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 $990 from Los Angeles to Seattle, about $1,430 from Dallas to Seattle, and about $1,765 from New York to Seattle. Most lanes leaving the state cost less, with Seattle to Phoenix at about $955 and Seattle to Chicago about $1,265. Snoqualmie Pass closures can add days in winter.
A loaded car carrier runs about 75 feet. These are the Washington addresses where it can’t reach the door, and what happens instead. Your coordinator settles it before you book.
What it costs
Every car hauler running between California and the Canadian border uses I-5, and in Washington that road strings together most of the state's population. West of the Cascades, Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, and Olympia line up along it within about 100 miles. East of the mountains, Spokane, the Tri-Cities, Yakima, and Wenatchee are farm and rail country, reached on I-90 from Montana and Idaho or on I-82 and I-84 from the south. A car going from Chicago to Spokane and one going from Chicago to Seattle share most of the road, then part ways at the pass, and from November to March the pass is where the delays happen.
A sedan from Los Angeles to Seattle costs about $990 this month and Seattle to Phoenix about $955, from the Washington lanes we priced for a running car on an open carrier. Your exact ZIP pair goes in the calculator. The busy I-5 months, the ferry islands, chain season on the passes, and the 30-day registration deadline each get their own section below.
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 · 46 Washington lanes
Approximate prices for a running sedan on an open carrier, from the Washington lanes we priced this month. Seattle sits at the end of the line from almost everywhere, so trucks that bring cars in want a load back out, and outbound lanes usually price lower than the same trip inbound. Your ZIP pair, vehicle, and week set the real figure, and the calculator returns it 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.
$990most trucks $805–$1,175
1,142 mi3 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–6 days
About $990 for 1,142 miles straight up I-5, over the Siskiyou summit a few miles north of the California line, where snow can hold trucks in winter. Northbound costs more than Seattle to Los Angeles at about $830, because Seattle is where carriers unload.
Price this route$1,765most trucks $1,560–$1,970
2,855 mi6–8 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–27 hours
About $1,765 for 2,855 miles, the highest price on any Washington lane, on I-90 or I-80 and then over Snoqualmie Pass. Seattle to New York comes back at about $1,615. Budget six to eight days, plus one in winter.
Price this route$1,360most trucks $1,155–$1,565
1,788 mi4–5 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–6 days
About $1,360 for 1,788 miles on I-90 or I-94 across the northern plains and Montana. Spokane comes before Seattle on this road, yet Chicago to Seattle prices about the same at $1,330, so the shorter trip saves nothing.
Price this route$955most trucks $815–$1,095
1,486 mi3–4 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–29 hours
About $955, either down I-5 and across to I-10 or inland through Boise and Las Vegas. Retirees heading for the desert fill it in October and November; Phoenix to Spokane, the spring return, costs about $1,290.
Price this route$1,265most trucks $1,070–$1,465
2,065 mi5–6 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–42 hours
About $1,265 for 2,065 miles, over Snoqualmie and then I-90 most of the way east, four to five days on the road. Leaving Washington costs less on this lane; Chicago to Seattle is about $1,330.
Price this route$970most trucks $810–$1,130
1,207 mi3–4 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–4 days
About $970, more than Seattle to Los Angeles at about $830 for only 65 more miles, since fewer southbound carriers start on the dry side. Snowbirds bound for Palm Springs and the desert fill it in October and November.
Price this route| Lane | Miles | Approx. price | Most trucks | Truck assigned in | Transit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manhattan, MT → Spokane, WA | 394 | $730 | $455–$1,000 | 1–17 hours | 1 day | 394 mi · 1 day · truck in 1–17 hours |
| Missoula, MT → Seattle, WA | 482 | $945 | $620–$1,270 | 1–5 hours | 1–2 days | 482 mi · 1–2 days · truck in 1–5 hours |
| Boise, ID → Seattle, WA | 504 | $520 | $405–$630 | 1–3 days | 2 days | 504 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| San Francisco, CA → Seattle, WA | 814 | $870 | $735–$1,005 | 1–4 days | 2–3 days | 814 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–4 days |
| Salt Lake City, UT → Seattle, WA | 826 | $760 | $525–$995 | 1–24 hours | 2–3 days | 826 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–24 hours |
| 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 |
| Las Vegas, NV → Seattle, WA | 1,111 | $920 | $770–$1,070 | 1–21 hours | 3 days | 1,111 mi · 3 days · truck in 1–21 hours |
| Los Angeles, CA → Seattle, WA | 1,142 | $990 | $805–$1,175 | 1–6 days | 3 days | 1,142 mi · 3 days · truck in 1–6 days |
| Cheyenne, WY → Seattle, WA | 1,216 | $995 | $845–$1,145 | 1–13 hours | 3–4 days | 1,216 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–13 hours |
| 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 |
| Phoenix, AZ → Spokane, WA | 1,383 | $1,290 | $1,020–$1,560 | 1–7 hours | 3–4 days | 1,383 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–7 hours |
| Fargo, ND → Seattle, WA | 1,425 | $1,045 | $795–$1,295 | 1–8 days | 3–4 days | 1,425 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–8 days |
| Sioux Falls, SD → Seattle, WA | 1,477 | $1,475 | $1,070–$1,880 | 1–11 hours | 3–4 days | 1,477 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–11 hours |
| Mesa, AZ → Bellevue, WA | 1,514 | $1,110 | $935–$1,285 | 1–17 hours | 4 days | 1,514 mi · 4 days · truck in 1–17 hours |
| Tucson, AZ → Seattle, WA | 1,600 | $1,090 | $905–$1,275 | 1–3 days | 4 days | 1,600 mi · 4 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Chicago, IL → Spokane, WA | 1,788 | $1,360 | $1,155–$1,565 | 1–6 days | 4–5 days | 1,788 mi · 4–5 days · truck in 1–6 days |
| Chicago, IL → Seattle, WA | 2,065 | $1,330 | $1,100–$1,565 | 1–14 hours | 5–6 days | 2,065 mi · 5–6 days · truck in 1–14 hours |
| Dallas, TX → Seattle, WA | 2,186 | $1,430 | $1,220–$1,635 | 1–26 days | 5–6 days | 2,186 mi · 5–6 days · truck in 1–26 days |
| Austin, TX → Seattle, WA | 2,249 | $1,365 | $1,225–$1,505 | 1–18 hours | 5–6 days | 2,249 mi · 5–6 days · truck in 1–18 hours |
| New York, NY → Seattle, WA | 2,855 | $1,765 | $1,560–$1,970 | 1–27 hours | 6–8 days | 2,855 mi · 6–8 days · truck in 1–27 hours |
| North Charleston, SC → Lakewood, WA | 2,973 | $1,590 | $1,355–$1,820 | 1–45 hours | 6–8 days | 2,973 mi · 6–8 days · truck in 1–45 hours |
| Lane | Miles | Approx. price | Most trucks | Truck assigned in | Transit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA → Coeur d'Alene, ID | 328 | $495 | $365–$620 | 1–2 days | 1 day | 328 mi · 1 day · truck in 1–2 days |
| Seattle, WA → Reno, NV | 757 | $740 | $515–$970 | 1–11 hours | 2 days | 757 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–11 hours |
| Bellevue, WA → Salt Lake City, UT | 821 | $760 | $610–$910 | 1–3 days | 2–3 days | 821 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Seattle, WA → Billings, MT | 833 | $1,150 | $940–$1,360 | 1–16 hours | 2–3 days | 833 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–16 hours |
| Seattle, WA → Casper, WY | 1,080 | $1,165 | $955–$1,370 | 1–4 days | 3 days | 1,080 mi · 3 days · truck in 1–4 days |
| Seattle, WA → St. George, UT | 1,131 | $995 | $835–$1,150 | 1–3 days | 3 days | 1,131 mi · 3 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Seattle, WA → Rapid City, SD | 1,136 | $1,260 | $965–$1,550 | 1–4 days | 3 days | 1,136 mi · 3 days · truck in 1–4 days |
| Seattle, WA → Los Angeles, CA | 1,142 | $830 | $630–$1,025 | 1–44 hours | 3 days | 1,142 mi · 3 days · truck in 1–44 hours |
| Spokane, WA → Los Angeles, CA | 1,207 | $970 | $810–$1,130 | 1–4 days | 3–4 days | 1,207 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–4 days |
| Seattle, WA → Bismarck, ND | 1,236 | $1,185 | $895–$1,480 | 1–4 hours | 3–4 days | 1,236 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–4 hours |
| 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 |
| Blaine, WA → Palm Desert, CA | 1,370 | $1,050 | $805–$1,290 | 1–17 days | 3–4 days | 1,370 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–17 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 |
| Seattle, WA → Phoenix, AZ | 1,486 | $955 | $815–$1,095 | 1–29 hours | 3–4 days | 1,486 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–29 hours |
| Spokane, WA → Dallas, TX | 1,962 | $1,525 | $1,285–$1,760 | 1–3 days | 4–5 days | 1,962 mi · 4–5 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Seattle, WA → Chicago, IL | 2,065 | $1,265 | $1,070–$1,465 | 1–42 hours | 5–6 days | 2,065 mi · 5–6 days · truck in 1–42 hours |
| Seattle, WA → Springfield, IL | 2,097 | $1,350 | $1,145–$1,555 | 1–44 hours | 5–6 days | 2,097 mi · 5–6 days · truck in 1–44 hours |
| Redmond, WA → West Chester, OH | 2,334 | $1,655 | $1,360–$1,950 | 1–5 days | 5–6 days | 2,334 mi · 5–6 days · truck in 1–5 days |
| Seattle, WA → Houston, TX | 2,426 | $1,460 | $1,220–$1,700 | 1–3 days | 5–7 days | 2,426 mi · 5–7 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Spokane, WA → New York, NY | 2,577 | $1,545 | $1,305–$1,785 | 1–20 hours | 6–7 days | 2,577 mi · 6–7 days · truck in 1–20 hours |
| Tacoma, WA → Alexander City, AL | 2,733 | $1,590 | $1,130–$2,055 | 1–43 hours | 6–7 days | 2,733 mi · 6–7 days · truck in 1–43 hours |
| Lynnwood, WA → Columbus, GA | 2,799 | $1,560 | $1,175–$1,945 | 1–43 hours | 6–7 days | 2,799 mi · 6–7 days · truck in 1–43 hours |
| Seattle, WA → Hackensack, NJ | 2,850 | $1,655 | $1,330–$1,985 | 1–4 days | 6–8 days | 2,850 mi · 6–8 days · truck in 1–4 days |
| Seattle, WA → New York, NY | 2,855 | $1,615 | $1,365–$1,865 | 1–4 days | 6–8 days | 2,855 mi · 6–8 days · truck in 1–4 days |
| Seattle, WA → Miami, FL | 3,331 | $1,710 | $1,470–$1,955 | 1–7 days | 7–9 days | 3,331 mi · 7–9 days · truck in 1–7 days |
Your lane is not in the table? Every ZIP pair in Washington prices the same way, in about 30 seconds.
Price my exact laneLocked 14 days · $0 until dispatch
Where in Washington the car is decides how fast a truck comes and whether it reaches the door. Tap a city to price a pickup there.
Downtown towers and the hill neighborhoods mean a meet-up in a flat lot near I-5 or I-90. Los Angeles to Seattle costs about $990 this October, and New York to Seattle about $1,765. Heading out, Seattle to Phoenix runs about $955 for 1,486 miles, since carriers that unloaded here want a load south.
Bellevue and the rest of the Eastside sit on I-405 and I-90 east of Lake Washington, where wide suburban streets usually let a carrier reach the door. Tech hires arrive from every state. Mesa to Bellevue costs about $1,110 this month, Bellevue to Salt Lake City about $760, and Redmond to West Chester, Ohio about $1,655.
Tacoma sits on I-5 south of Seattle, next to the Port of Tacoma and Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Lakewood. North Charleston to Lakewood, a move between two C-17 bases, costs about $1,590 this October, and Tacoma to Alexander City, Alabama also runs about $1,590. Lakewood base housing usually means meeting the driver outside the gate.
Bremerton holds Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, part of Naval Base Kitsap, across the water from Seattle. Commuters ride the car ferry, but carriers drive around through Tacoma on SR 16 and the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, about an hour off I-5. Summer orders to the shipyard and the Bangor submarine base bring most of the cars.
Price a pickup in BremertonVancouver faces Portland across the Columbia, where I-5 and I-205 cross into Oregon, so any carrier bound for Portland passes within a few miles. Many residents work on the Oregon side, but a car kept here still needs Washington registration within 30 days of the move. Most neighborhoods get a door pickup.
Price a pickup in VancouverBellingham sits on I-5 about 20 miles south of the border crossing at Blaine, home to Western Washington University and the southern terminal of the Alaska ferry. Blaine to Palm Desert costs about $1,050 this month, a snowbird lane that fills in October and November and runs back north in spring.
Price a pickup in BellinghamSpokane is the dry side's hub on I-90, with Gonzaga downtown and Fairchild Air Force Base west of town. Chicago to Spokane costs about $1,360 this October and Spokane to Los Angeles about $970. Trucks arrive from Montana over Lookout Pass or from Seattle over Snoqualmie, and both post chain rules in winter.
Kennewick, Pasco and Richland sit where the Snake and Yakima rivers meet the Columbia, reached on I-82 and I-182 from Oregon and US 395 from Spokane. Hanford site contractors bring a steady stream of relocations. Carriers coming up from Oregon on I-84 and I-82 reach the area without crossing the Cascades, which keeps winter delays short.
Price a pickup in Tri-CitiesJobs and the military bring most cars into Washington. The tech employers around Seattle, Bellevue, and Redmond hire from every state, and the household often flies while the car comes by truck. On the military side there is Joint Base Lewis-McChord south of Tacoma, the Navy at Naval Base Kitsap, Naval Station Everett, and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, and Fairchild Air Force Base outside Spokane. PCS orders cluster in summer, so June through August is when the lanes into Lakewood, Bremerton, and Oak Harbor fill.
The college calendar adds two more dates. Washington State University in Pullman starts in August, and the University of Washington, which runs on quarters, starts in late September, weeks after most schools. Gonzaga in Spokane and Western Washington University in Bellingham fall in between. From California the drive up I-5 takes about three days on a truck; from Los Angeles to Seattle the lane runs about $990 this month. From Texas or the Northeast, plan on six to eight days after pickup, and expect the coordinator to ask about pass conditions if the delivery falls in winter.
The biggest seasonal flow out of Washington heads for Arizona and the California desert in the fall. Retirees from Puget Sound and Spokane spend the wet months in Phoenix, Mesa, Tucson, and the Palm Springs area, and they ship south in October and November, then north again in March and April. Seattle to Phoenix runs about $955 in October 2026, which is cheap for nearly 1,500 miles because trucks unload in Seattle and look for anything heading back toward the Southwest. Spokane to Los Angeles is about $970.
The other steady outbound traffic comes from dealers and buyers. Manheim Seattle in Kent runs regular dealer sales, and cars bought there and from private sellers around Puget Sound go out to Idaho, Montana, and points farther east. Relocations out of the state run all year. On cross-country lanes the gap is wider. Spokane to New York costs about $1,545, while New York to Seattle costs about $1,765.
On the west side, I-5 runs from Vancouver on the Columbia River through Olympia, Tacoma, Seattle, and Everett to Bellingham and Blaine. Anything within a short drive of that road gets picked up fastest. The Eastside suburbs along I-405, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, and Bothell, are equally easy. Seattle itself is harder. Queen Anne, Capitol Hill, and the older neighborhoods have steep, narrow streets where a 75-foot carrier cannot stop on the grade, so the driver will ask to meet in a flat lot near the interstate.
The islands are the other complication on the west side. The San Juan Islands are reachable only by Washington State Ferries from Anacortes, and a 75-foot carrier is not a practical ferry passenger, so an island car is usually handed over on the mainland side; your coordinator confirms the plan before booking. Whidbey Island has a road connection over Deception Pass Bridge from the north, and Bainbridge Island has one over the Agate Pass Bridge from the Kitsap Peninsula, so both can get a truck without a ferry if the driver accepts the longer route. Port Angeles, Sequim, and Forks on the Olympic Peninsula sit on two-lane US 101, far from I-5, and wait longer for a carrier. East of the Cascades, I-90 runs through Ellensburg, Moses Lake, and Spokane, and I-82 carries trucks to Yakima and the Tri-Cities. Pullman, Walla Walla, and the Okanogan valley are off those roads.
Every truck crossing the state goes over Snoqualmie Pass on I-90, Stevens Pass on US 2, or White Pass on US 12, or else runs the Columbia River Gorge on I-84 in Oregon. In winter, WSDOT posts traction and chain requirements on the passes, and vehicles over 10,000 pounds, which includes every loaded car carrier, must chain up whenever traction tires are required. Snoqualmie also closes for avalanche control and spun-out trucks, sometimes for hours. When the passes close, a driver waits in Ellensburg or North Bend, or swings south through the Gorge, which adds miles but avoids the snow.
Winter deliveries between the two halves of the state, or from the Midwest into Seattle, can slip by a day or two. Your coordinator sends the new window by text, and the quoted figure stays the same. East of the mountains, wildfire smoke and fire closures can do the same in late summer. A pickup window of several days, instead of one fixed date, gives the driver room to work around both.
The driver calls about 24 hours before arriving, and your coordinator texts the pickup window the day before.
Leaving Washington costs less on 3 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.
Salt Lake City
Denver
Los Angeles
Phoenix
Chicago
Dallas
Calendar
When the same lanes get busy, and what that does to your pickup week.
How busy the Washington lanes get each month, from our coordinators’ calendar. Busier months fill trucks sooner and cost more.
Washington rules
The rules that catch people who bring a car in from another state.
Rules as of the review date below. The Washington State Department of Licensing is the source for registration, and the one to check before you visit a vehicle licensing office.
Questions
Los Angeles to Seattle runs about $990 for a running sedan on an open carrier in October 2026, with most trucks between roughly $805 and $1,175. It is about 1,140 miles up I-5, so plan on about three days in transit after pickup. Going the other way, Spokane to Los Angeles is about $970. The calculator prices your exact ZIP pair, and the quote holds for 14 days.
Seattle to Phoenix runs about $955 on an open carrier in October 2026, most trucks between roughly $815 and $1,095. The reverse costs more: Phoenix to Spokane is about $1,290. October, November, March, and April are the snowbird months on these lanes, when prices can run up to 20% higher, so book two to three weeks ahead if you are moving in one of them.
New York to Seattle runs about $1,765 for a running sedan on an open carrier in October 2026, with most trucks between roughly $1,545 and $1,970. The eastbound trip costs less: Spokane to New York is about $1,545. The road distance is close to 2,900 miles from Seattle, which works out to six to eight days in transit at 400 to 500 miles a day.
Count a few days for a carrier to be assigned, longer for the Olympic Peninsula or the Palouse, then about 400 to 500 miles a day on the road. That is roughly three days from Los Angeles, three from Denver to Spokane, four to five from Chicago, five from Dallas, and six to eight from the East Coast. Winter pass closures can add a day or two.
The San Juans are reachable only by ferry from Anacortes, and a full-size carrier is not a practical ferry passenger, so the car is usually handed over on the mainland and you take it across. Bainbridge Island has a road connection over the Agate Pass Bridge from the Kitsap side, and Whidbey Island has Deception Pass Bridge from the north. Your coordinator confirms how an island delivery will work before you book.
No. The Department of Ecology ended the emission check program on January 1, 2020, and Washington has no periodic safety inspection. New residents have 30 days after moving to get a Washington driver license and register the car, and the license comes first. Bring the current title, or have your lender send it, and the odometer reading.
The driver waits for the pass to reopen, usually in North Bend or Ellensburg, or reroutes through the Columbia River Gorge on I-84. Expect a day or two of delay and a text from your coordinator with the new window. The price you were quoted does not change because of weather.
Chicago to Spokane runs about $1,360 on an open carrier in October 2026, most trucks between roughly $1,155 and $1,565. Heading east, Seattle to Chicago is about $1,265. Both trips run I-90 nearly the whole way, about 1,800 to 2,100 miles, so plan on four to five days in transit once the car is loaded.
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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