Moving from state to state

A state-to-state move is an interstate move: it is regulated federally, priced on weight and distance, and delivered on a window rather than a date. Real migration data, distance, transit times, and the licensed carriers that run each lane.

Pick a lane below for that pair's cost range, transit window, and directional migration figures.

California to Texas New York to Florida California to Nevada Illinois to Florida Texas to Florida New York to New Jersey California to Arizona New York to Pennsylvania

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Editorial cost estimates for lanes served by licensed interstate movers.

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What does moving from state to state cost?

Moving from state to state is priced on shipment weight, the distance between the two states, and the services added on top, so the same household costs different amounts on different lanes. A full-service two-bedroom state-to-state move commonly falls in the low-to-mid four figures on short lanes and rises into five figures on coast-to-coast lanes; packing, stairs, long carry, shuttle service and storage in transit are billed separately. State-to-state moving services quoted as a flat number over the phone, without an inventory survey, are the ones that move at delivery. Each lane page below carries its own estimated range rather than a single national figure.

How do I check moving companies from state to state are licensed?

Moving companies from state to state must be registered with the federal FMCSA, so ask for the USDOT number and the MC number and read the SAFER record before paying anything. Operating status has to be active, the authority has to cover interstate work rather than intrastate only, and household goods has to appear in the cargo carried. A company that arranges the move but does not drive it is a broker and needs broker authority and a bond. State agencies at either end license moves that stay inside one state; they do not authorise the state-to-state leg itself.

Why the route matters more than the carrier

Two interstate moves of identical weight can cost different totals on the same calendar week, depending on the lane. Drivers price one-way deadhead miles into the quote — a popular outbound lane (say Los Angeles to Phoenix) is cheaper because the truck won't return empty. A reverse lane on the same route is often 10–20% more.

This page tracks 102 of the most-searched US moving routes. Each route page below has its own cost breakdown, transit window, and the specific carriers that quote that lane regularly.

How interstate pricing actually works

Three numbers add up to the final invoice on a long-distance move: linehaul, accessorials, and valuation. Linehaul is weight × tariff rate × distance — the part that scales with the move itself. Accessorials are everything else: long carry, stairs, shuttle truck, packing materials, storage in transit. Valuation is your insurance election.

Linehaul is what most quotes lead with, but accessorials are where price surprise lives. Always ask the dispatcher to itemize: "What accessorials are likely on this move?" If the answer is vague, get the same quote from a competitor and compare line by line.

Component	Typical share of total
Linehaul (weight × distance)	55–70%
Fuel surcharge	5–10%
Packing materials + labor	10–25%
Accessorials (stairs, long carry, shuttle)	5–15%
Valuation coverage	1–3%

Top state-to-state routes

Sorted by lane volume. Each links to a full cost and timeline page.

New York to New Jersey

50 mi · 1–2 days

California to Arizona

380 mi · 2–5 days

New York to Pennsylvania

250 mi · 1–3 days

California to Washington

New Jersey to Florida

Pennsylvania to Florida

1,080 mi · 3–7 days

New York to Texas

1,700 mi · 4–10 days

California to Colorado

New York to Massachusetts

New York to Connecticut

90 mi · 1–2 days

Illinois to Wisconsin

90 mi · 1–2 days

Ohio to Pennsylvania

350 mi · 2–4 days

Binding, non-binding, binding-not-to-exceed

Non-binding — the estimate is informational; final bill is based on actual weight or volume. Often comes in higher than the quote.
Binding — the carrier commits to the price for the inventory listed. If actual weight is more, the price still holds.
Binding-not-to-exceed — the carrier commits to a maximum; if actual weight comes in lower, you pay the lower amount. This is the version to ask for in writing.

Regional patterns worth knowing

Northeast to South lanes (NYC to Florida is the textbook example) are heavy in winter as retirees relocate, then heavy again in summer with family moves. Pricing is most competitive in October and February.

West to Mountain West lanes (California to Colorado, California to Idaho) have run hot since 2020 and stayed that way. Carriers often won't honor a quote older than 14 days on these lanes because demand keeps shifting rates.

Midwest ↔ Sunbelt lanes are seasonal: heavy outbound from Chicago and the Great Lakes in spring and fall, lighter in deep winter. Midwest movers often have spare capacity in January if your timeline is flexible.

Northeast ↔ South

New York to Florida· 1,280 mi New Jersey to Florida· 1,180 mi Pennsylvania to Florida· 1,080 mi New York to Texas· 1,700 mi New York to North Carolina· 540 mi New York to Georgia· 880 mi Texas to New York· 1,700 mi New York to Virginia· 350 mi

West ↔ Southwest

California to Texas· 1,500 mi California to Nevada· 460 mi California to Arizona· 380 mi California to Washington· 1,100 mi California to Colorado· 1,100 mi California to Oregon· 800 mi California to Utah· 700 mi California to Georgia· 2,200 mi

Midwest ↔ Sunbelt

Illinois to Florida· 1,380 mi Illinois to Texas· 1,100 mi Michigan to Florida· 1,280 mi Ohio to Florida· 1,100 mi Minnesota to Florida· 1,800 mi Ohio to Tennessee· 470 mi Missouri to Texas· 700 mi Indiana to Florida· 1,100 mi

What the FMCSA actually does for you

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is the agency you call when an interstate move goes wrong. They keep the public SAFER database (safer.fmcsa.dot.gov) where you can verify any USDOT number in 30 seconds. They also publish the booklet "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move" that every interstate carrier must give you before pickup — if your mover doesn't, that's a flag.

What the FMCSA does not do is settle disputes directly. For damage claims you file with the carrier first and have nine months from delivery to do so. If the carrier denies the claim, your next step is small claims court or the neutral arbitration programme every interstate household-goods carrier must offer you under 49 CFR 375.211, not the FMCSA.

Full index

All 102 state-to-state lanes

Grouped by origin state, A to Z. Within a state, shortest driving distance first.

From Alabama

Alabama to Florida

From Arizona

From Arkansas

Arkansas to Texas

From California

From Colorado

From Connecticut

Connecticut to Florida

From Florida

From Georgia

From Illinois

From Michigan

From Minnesota

Minnesota to Florida

From Mississippi

Mississippi to Tennessee

From Missouri

From Nevada

From New Jersey

New Jersey to Florida

From New Mexico

New Mexico to Texas

From New York

From North Carolina

From Ohio

From Oklahoma

Oklahoma to Texas

From Oregon

From Pennsylvania

From South Carolina

South Carolina to North Carolina

From Tennessee

From Texas

From Virginia

From Washington

From Wisconsin

Wisconsin to Illinois

Full index

Additional measured lanes

Lanes published from measured search demand that sit outside the state-pair set, including city-to-state pairs.

Full index

Moving-to destination pages

One page per destination state that publishes inbound lanes.

Full index

All 249 city-to-city lanes

Grouped by origin state, A to Z. Within a state, ordered by published IRS outbound migration returns for the lane (filing years 2022 to 2023), largest flow first; lanes with no published figure follow by driving distance.

From Alabama

Birmingham to Atlanta

From Alaska

Anchorage to Seattle

From Arizona

From California

From Colorado

From Connecticut

From Florida

From Georgia

From Idaho

From Illinois

From Indiana

From Iowa

Des Moines to Chicago

From Kentucky

From Louisiana

From Maryland

From Massachusetts

From Minnesota

From Missouri

From Nebraska

From Nevada

From New Mexico

Albuquerque to Denver

From New York

From North Carolina

From Ohio

From Oklahoma

From Oregon

From Pennsylvania

From Rhode Island

Providence to New York City

From Tennessee

From Texas

From Utah

From Virginia

From Washington

From Wisconsin

Frequently asked questions

What are moving services from state to state?

State-to-state moving services are interstate household goods transport: a carrier registered with the FMCSA picks up in one state, carries the shipment across a state line, and delivers within an agreed spread of days. The price is built from weight, distance, and any accessorials such as packing, stairs, long carry or shuttle service. Moves that stay inside one state are a different service under a different regulator.

How much does moving from state to state cost?

There is no single national figure: a state-to-state move is priced on shipment weight and the distance between the two states, so a short neighbouring-state lane and a coast-to-coast lane differ by several thousand dollars for the same household. Each lane page on this site carries its own estimated range by home size. Insist on a written binding-not-to-exceed estimate based on an inventory survey before paying a deposit.

What's the difference between binding and non-binding estimates?

Binding locks the price to the inventory at survey time. Non-binding is informational; the final bill is based on actual weight at the certified scale. Binding-not-to-exceed is the version to ask for in writing — you pay the maximum or the actual, whichever is lower.

What's a typical interstate delivery window?

Three to ten business days from pickup for most US lanes. Shorter on dense lanes (NYC ↔ Boston, LA ↔ Phoenix), longer on sparse routes (anywhere ↔ Maine, Idaho, Vermont).

Why is the reverse direction more expensive on some routes?

Carriers price empty return miles into the rate. A truck that delivers to Phoenix often has to drive back to Los Angeles empty, so LA to Phoenix prices higher than Phoenix to LA. Routes with balanced two-way demand cost roughly the same in both directions.

Should I drive my car or ship it?

Driving is usually cheaper for one car under 1,500 miles. Auto transport often comes out ahead for multi-car households or distances over 1,500 miles, once you factor fuel, lodging, and time.

What does FMCSA actually do for me on an interstate move?

They maintain the SAFER database (safer.fmcsa.dot.gov) where you can verify any carrier in 30 seconds. They also require every interstate mover to provide the booklet 'Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move' before pickup. The FMCSA does not settle disputes directly: that is small claims court, or the neutral arbitration programme your carrier must offer under 49 CFR 375.211.

Are weather-related delays covered by my mover?

Generally no. Weather delays are explicitly excluded as 'force majeure' in most carrier contracts. The carrier owes you safe delivery, not on-time delivery, when storms, road closures, or hurricanes intervene.