San Francisco, CA car shipping
Car Shipping in San Francisco, CA
- Estimates clearly labeled
- Independent company rankings
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$525 – $5,215
Typical price
Sedan, open transport
1–9 days
Transit time
Most major cities
Houston, Las Vegas
Top destinations
$240 – $660
Trips within California
Published range for an in-state trip
Free · No obligation · About a minute
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About car shipping in San Francisco
San Francisco is seven miles square, built on hills, and reached by bridges that carriers have to plan around. Very little of the city is loadable by a full-size truck, so the practical question here is not whether you will meet the driver somewhere else but where. Once you accept that, the lanes themselves are excellent, because the whole West Coast corridor runs past the door.
- Hills and one-way streets rule out most city addresses
- Bridge routing means the driver's approach is not yours
- The East Bay is where most handovers actually happen
- US-101 and I-5 keep West Coast lanes frequent and competitive
- Main highways
- US-101, I-80, I-280
- Typical transit
- 1–9 days
- In-state trips
- $240 – $660
Car shipping rates from San Francisco
Estimated from published industry figures for a standard car. Your quote depends on season, vehicle and exact addresses.
| Destination | Distance | Open transport | Enclosed transport | Transit time | Route page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston, TX | 1,970 mi | $790 – $3,725 | $1,025 – $5,955 | 4–8 days | California to Texas |
| Las Vegas, NV | 500 mi | $365 – $945 | $465 – $1,510 | 1–2 days | California to Nevada |
| Jacksonville, FL | 2,840 mi | $995 – $5,370 | $1,290 – $8,590 | 6–12 days | California to Florida |
| New York City, NY | 3,080 mi | $1,015 – $5,820 | $1,320 – $9,315 | 7–13 days | California to New York |
| Salt Lake City, UT | 720 mi | $525 – $1,360 | $675 – $2,175 | 2–3 days | California to Utah |
| Chicago, IL | 2,230 mi | $825 – $4,215 | $1,075 – $6,745 | 5–9 days | California to Illinois |
Prices move with the season
No source publishes monthly prices by city, so this is what the studies say about timing.
Summer moving season and the holidays tighten truck space, while mid-January to February is usually the quietest stretch of the year.
Direct Connect Auto Transport reports 2026 versus 2025 running 3% to 8% higher.
Published price adjustments
- Pickup truckPickups cost about 38% more to ship than standard cars.Source: Move.org
- SUVAt 500 miles, an SUV averaged $743 against $696 for a car.Source: Move.org
- Non-running vehicleAdd $150 to $300 for a vehicle that does not run.Source: Direct Connect Auto Transport
Transit times from San Francisco
Typical days on the road after pickup.
- Las Vegas, NV · 500 mi1–2 days
- Portland, OR · 640 mi2–3 days
- Salt Lake City, UT · 720 mi2–3 days
- Phoenix, AZ · 780 mi2–4 days
- Houston, TX · 1,970 mi4–8 days
- Chicago, IL · 2,230 mi5–9 days
- Atlanta, GA · 2,560 mi6–11 days
Popular routes from San Francisco
Car shipping companies serving San Francisco
Researched companies ordered by Trustpilot rating, adjusted for review count. Not ranked by city data.
Pickup areas around San Francisco
Where trucks reach easily, and where a meeting point helps.
- Oakland, Emeryville, BerkeleyFlat, wide and right on I-80. The usual handover point.
- South San Francisco, Daly City, San MateoEasy US-101 access with room to load.
- Inside the cityAssume a meeting point on a flat arterial or in a lot.
Good to know in San Francisco
- The hills are not a figure of speechRussian Hill, Telegraph Hill, Nob Hill and much of Bernal and Noe have grades no loaded carrier will attempt, on streets parked to the curb on both sides. Drivers know the handful of flat, wide places that work, and taking their suggestion is faster than arguing with the topography.
- Bridges decide the route, and the timingA truck coming from the east crosses the Bay Bridge; from the south it comes up the Peninsula. Both have their own congestion, and neither is the route you would drive. That is why a San Francisco window is wide and why a driver may prefer to meet you outside the city entirely.
- Most Bay Area handovers happen in the East BayOakland, Emeryville and Berkeley have the flat ground, the wide streets and the freeway access the city lacks, and they are twenty minutes away. A great many San Francisco bookings are loaded there by mutual agreement, at no extra cost.
- The corridor itself works in your favorUS-101 and I-5 carry constant traffic between Southern California, the Bay Area and the Pacific Northwest. Lanes in those directions are among the most frequently run in the country, so waiting for a truck is rarely the problem here. Reaching your address is.
- Moving to San FranciscoIf you're moving from another state, you'll generally need to register your vehicle in California. Check California's motor vehicle agency for deadlines and inspection rules.
Other California cities
Starting prices on popular routes.
Helpful guides for San Francisco
Why ship from San Francisco?
- Carriers already serving California
- Door-to-door pickup where trucks can reach
- Open and enclosed transport options
- Published price ranges you can compare before booking
- Common for relocations, students, military moves and car purchases
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to ship a car from San Francisco?
Published figures put a standard car on an open carrier at about $525 – $5,215 from San Francisco to other major cities, depending on distance, season and vehicle. Shorter trips, such as to Las Vegas, run about $365 – $945.
Car shipping cost calculatorHow long does it take to ship a car from San Francisco?
About 1–2 days to Las Vegas and 7–13 days to New York City, plus the pickup window before the car is loaded.
How long car shipping takesCan the truck pick up at my home in San Francisco?
Often, yes. On narrow, busy or restricted streets, the driver may ask to meet at a nearby open lot where a full-size carrier can load safely.
Door-to-door car shipping
Should I ship open or enclosed from San Francisco?
Open transport suits most everyday cars and costs less. Consider enclosed for luxury, classic or exotic cars, or anything with fresh paint.
Open vs. enclosed shippingIs my car insured when shipping from San Francisco?
Licensed carriers must carry liability insurance, and most carry cargo coverage for the cars they haul. Ask for the certificate of insurance before pickup.
Car shipping insuranceWhat's the cheapest way to ship a car from San Francisco?
Choose open transport, be flexible with dates, book one to three weeks ahead and meet the truck near a main highway if your street is hard to reach.
Cheapest way to ship a car
Where these figures come from
Published industry studies, not Haulwide shipments. Checked Sep 16, 2026.
- SGT Auto Transport(opens in a new tab)
Published Sep 9, 2026. 30 months of the company's own shipping data (January 2024 to June 2026) across all 50 states and 1,581 state-to-state lanes, limited to completed single-vehicle open transport deliveries and mix-adjusted for distance.
- Move.org(opens in a new tab)
Published Mar 4, 2026. Nearly 800 broker quotes analyzed, priced for a running 2025 Toyota Camry with a one-week lead time using October 2025 quotes.
- Kelley Blue Book(opens in a new tab)
Published Jan 12, 2026. Quotes requested from eight transport companies for a 2025 Honda Accord on three routes from Orlando, on standard open carriers.
- Direct Connect Auto Transport(opens in a new tab)
No publication date given. The company's own carrier data for an operable sedan on open transport; the page states no publication date.
- RoadRunner Auto Transport(opens in a new tab)
Published Sep 1, 2026. The company's completed shipment history, which it describes as over 1 million vehicles delivered across 30+ years, updated September 2026. Its nationwide average is $1,215 at a median distance of 987 miles and a median $1.23 per mile.
The sources disagree, so figures are shown as the span across them rather than a single price. Pricing methodology
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