Car Shipping Transit Times from Seattle
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Seattle at a glance
- Typical price
- $585 – $4,935
- Open transport
- $0.35–$1.89 per mile
- Transit time
- 1–9 days
- Trips within Washington
- $240 – $660
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Get a Seattle car shipping quote
1–2 days
Under 500 miles
Nearby states
2–6 days
500–2,000 miles
Regional and mid-distance
5–12 days
2,000+ miles
Cross-country
11 hours a day
Driving limit
Federal hours-of-service rule
Transit times from Seattle to major cities
Estimated days on the road after pickup, from nearest to farthest.
| Destination | Distance | Standard transit | Open transport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland, OR | 170 mi | 1–2 days | $240 – $660 |
| Boise, ID | 490 mi | 1–2 days | $390 – $1,080 |
| Billings, MT | 800 mi | 2–4 days | $585 – $1,510 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 1,150 mi | 3–5 days | $805 – $2,175 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 1,340 mi | 3–6 days | $940 – $2,535 |
| Chicago, IL | 2,080 mi | 5–9 days | $770 – $3,930 |
| Houston, TX | 2,270 mi | 5–10 days | $840 – $4,290 |
| Atlanta, GA | 2,610 mi | 6–11 days | $915 – $4,935 |
| New York City, NY | 2,880 mi | 6–12 days | $1,010 – $5,445 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 2,940 mi | 6–12 days | $1,030 – $5,555 |
Pickup window vs. transit time
- Day 0
Book
Compare estimates, choose a company and confirm the price, pickup window and payment terms in writing.
- Before pickup
Carrier assigned
Your order goes to a carrier with space on your route. Busy routes usually fill faster than rural ones.
- A range of days
Pickup window
Pickup happens within an agreed window, not at an exact hour. Drivers usually call ahead to set a time.
In transit
Time on the road depends on distance, weather, other stops and drivers' required rest breaks.
- On arrival
Delivery
Inspect the car against the Bill of Lading and note any new damage before you sign.
What can slow a shipment from Seattle
- One road each way, and no redundancyEverything heading to California or British Columbia uses I-5, and everything heading east uses I-90 over the Cascades. There is no practical parallel route, so an incident on either one moves every schedule in the region at once rather than just yours.
- Snoqualmie Pass is a winter scheduling riskThe I-90 crossing east of the city closes for avalanche control and storms several times most winters. If your car is going east between November and March, the honest advice is to treat the delivery date as an estimate and to not book a flight around it.
- Hills and one-way streets rule out a lot of addressesQueen Anne, Capitol Hill, Magnolia and much of West Seattle have grades, tight turns and parked cars on both sides. An 80-foot carrier will not attempt them. Meeting in a large lot on a flat arterial is the normal outcome and costs nothing extra.
- The islands are a separate tripCar carriers do not ride the Washington State ferries. A vehicle going to Bainbridge, Vashon or the San Juans is delivered on the Seattle side, and someone drives it across. Confirm that at booking rather than assuming the quote covers the crossing.
Truck drivers may drive up to 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty, which is why long routes are measured in days, not hours. Source: FMCSA hours of service
Standard vs. expedited shipping
Example: Seattle to Los Angeles.
Standard shipping
3–5 days in transit
- Most cost-effective
- Widest choice of carriers
- Good for flexible schedules
Expedited shipping
Sooner pickup; similar time on the road
- Priority carrier assignment
- Shorter wait for pickup
- Costs more
Delivery dates are estimates. Weather, freeway closures and other stops on the truck's route can add time, so plan a little buffer.
Ready to ship your car from Seattle?
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