Virginia car shipping
Car Shipping in Virginia
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$0.35–$1.89 per mile
Open transport rate
1–3 days
Avg. transit time
$240 – $660
Within Virginia
$0.45–$3.02 per mile
Enclosed transport rate
Free · No obligation · About a minute
Get a Virginia car shipping quote
Virginia shipping rates
Published figures for a standard car, by estimated distance.
- Open transport
- $0.35–$1.89 per mile
- Enclosed transport
- $0.45–$3.02 per mile
- Within Virginia
- $240 – $660
- Virginia to California
- $930 – $5,025
- Virginia to West Virginia
- $240 – $660
- Virginia to Texas
- $1,035 – $2,795
Prices move with the season
No source publishes monthly prices by state, 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
Why ship your car in Virginia?
Virginia's coast is stitched together by tunnels, and a tunnel has a ceiling. VDOT posts the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel westbound, the Midtown Tunnel and the Downtown Tunnel at 13 feet 6 inches, which is also the maximum height an ordinary tractor-trailer runs at. A loaded car carrier sits at that limit rather than comfortably under it, and a tall vehicle on the top deck is what turns a routine delivery into a detour.
- Three Hampton Roads tunnels are posted at 13 feet 6 inches
- That is the same height a standard tractor-trailer already runs at
- Over-height detection systems watch the westbound HRBT approach
- The Monitor-Merrimac tunnel allows 14 feet 6 inches, but only with a permit
- Tropical cyclones are 23 of the state's 116 billion-dollar disasters
Flexible pickup dates and a nearby meeting point usually get you a lower price.
Good to know in Virginia
The things that actually move a pickup date here.
A tall car on the top deck is a routing problem in Hampton Roads
VDOT posts the westbound Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, the US 58 Midtown Tunnel and the I-264 Downtown Tunnel at a maximum 13 feet 6 inches, with the Monitor-Merrimac at 14 feet 6 inches by permit. A standard tractor-trailer already runs at 13 feet 6 inches, so a car carrier carrying a tall SUV or a van on its upper deck has no margin at all. If your delivery is in Norfolk, Hampton or Virginia Beach, it is worth telling the broker what the vehicle is, because it may decide which crossing the driver can use.
The corridor state and the mountain state
I-95 runs the length of the populous east through Richmond and northern Virginia, and I-64 crosses from the coast to the Blue Ridge. Carriers are plentiful on both. West of Roanoke the I-81 corridor carries heavy freight through the valley, but the towns off it in the Appalachians are a different proposition, with grades, weather that bears no relation to the forecast in Richmond, and longer waits for a truck.
Hurricanes reach Virginia more often than people expect
NOAA counts 116 billion-dollar weather disasters in Virginia between 1980 and 2024, including 23 tropical cyclones alongside 53 severe storms and 19 winter storms. The five years to 2024 averaged 8.0 events a year against a long-run average of 2.6. The coast takes the tropical weather and the mountains take the snow, so which caution applies to your shipment depends on which end of the state it is going to.
Sources: VDOT: truck restrictions, Hampton Roads tunnels, VDOT: Hampton Roads bridges and tunnels, NOAA NCEI: billion-dollar disasters, Virginia summary
Popular routes from Virginia
Popular routes to Virginia
Major cities in Virginia
Starting prices on popular routes.
Shipping services in Virginia
Car shipping companies serving Virginia
Researched companies ordered by Trustpilot rating, adjusted for review count. Not ranked by state data.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to ship a car to or from Virginia?
Car shipping is routine when you use a licensed, insured company. Check the company's USDOT or MC number, confirm its insurance, and record your car's condition at pickup.
How to ship a carHow do I choose a trustworthy car shipping company in Virginia?
Look up the company's USDOT or MC number, compare several quotes, read recent reviews, and avoid companies that ask for a large deposit before a carrier is assigned.
Avoid car shipping scamsShould I choose open or enclosed transport in Virginia?
Open transport suits most cars and is the cheapest option. Enclosed transport is worth considering for luxury, classic or exotic cars, or when the car will travel through harsh weather.
Open vs. enclosed shipping
How much does it cost to ship a car from Virginia?
Published figures put open transport from Virginia at about $240 – $660 to West Virginia and $930 – $5,025 to California. Enclosed transport runs 30–60% higher in the same studies. Distance, vehicle size, season and pickup location change the price.
Car shipping cost guideHow much does car shipping cost per mile in Virginia?
Published figures for longer Virginia routes run about $0.35–$1.89 per mile for open transport and $0.45–$3.02 per mile for enclosed. Short trips cost more per mile than long ones.
Car shipping cost per mileHow much does it cost to ship a car within Virginia?
Published figures put an in-state move of about 100 miles, such as Virginia Beach to Chesapeake, at $240 – $660 on an open carrier.
Virginia car shipping guide
Everything to know about shipping a car to or from Virginia: costs, routes, preparation and what to expect.
- How prices are set and how to compare quotes
- Choosing open or enclosed transport
- Getting your car ready for pickup
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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