Car shipping from New York to Los Angeles
The most recognisable move in the country, and the one where the pickup is harder than the drive. An 80-foot rig cannot legally work most streets in Manhattan or Brooklyn, so almost every collection here happens at an agreed lot — and knowing that up front is the difference between a smooth first day and a wasted one.
Who ships NYC to LA
Career moves in both directions, students, families splitting time between coasts, and a steady flow of collector cars between the East Coast auction houses and the Southern California market.
The widest mix of any lane — student runabouts sharing a deck with enclosed six-figure cars. Low-clearance vehicles are worth flagging early, because the loading angle at a Manhattan-area lot is often steeper than a residential driveway.
2,790 miles via I-80 / I-15 / I-10
Typically I-80 west through Cleveland, Chicago, Omaha, Cheyenne and Salt Lake City, then I-15 and I-10 into the Los Angeles basin. Carriers pick between I-80 and the more southerly I-70 on the morning of departure based on the mountain passes, which is why nobody can promise you a fixed routing weeks ahead.
Summer is the peak, driven by job starts and the academic calendar. Winter is the one to plan around: the northern routing crosses Wyoming and Nebraska, and a serious storm there adds two or three days with no warning. From December to February either build slack into your dates or accept the southern routing, which is longer in miles and steadier in days.
Shipping Los Angeles to New York
Los Angeles to New York quotes within a few percent of the westbound trip; this is one of the genuinely balanced corridors, because the people leaving are matched by the people arriving. What changes is where the awkward end sits. Eastbound, the difficult part is delivery, and that is the easier of the two to manage — the driver can hold a day at a New Jersey or Yonkers lot and still meet the window. Westbound, the same problem lands at pickup, before the truck has your car, so a January departure out of the Northeast carries more schedule risk than a January arrival into it.
From Manhattan and Brooklyn to Los Angeles and Santa Monica
Not listed? Pickup is anywhere in the New York metro and delivery anywhere in the Los Angeles metro, door to door.
Typical rate
New York to Los Angeles
NYC → LA
LA → NYC
New York to Los Angeles is the cheaper direction on an open carrier.
Running standard vehicle; oversized, non-running or peak-season moves cost more. Rates as of September 2026.
NYC → LA
Get a real rate for this route
I quote New York to Los Angeles by hand and call you back.
Get My Free Quote (567) 666-4241$0 until a carrier is assigned
New York to Los Angeles, by carrier
2,790 miles, 6–7 days once loaded.
Shipping New York to Los Angeles
- How much does it cost to ship a car from New York to Los Angeles?
- $1,500 – $1,750 on an open carrier or $2,300 – $2,500 enclosed, for a running standard vehicle over roughly 2,790 miles.
- How long does it take to ship a car from New York to Los Angeles?
- 6–7 days once the car is loaded, for about 2,790 miles via I-80 / I-15 / I-10.
- Do you also ship cars from Los Angeles to New York?
- Yes. Los Angeles to New York runs $1,750 – $1,950 open and $2,650 – $2,900 enclosed.
- Do you pick up in Manhattan and deliver to Los Angeles?
- Yes. Other pickups here include Brooklyn, Queens and Westchester; other drop-offs, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and Long Beach.
Cars I shipped recently
Real photos from the carriers' pickup and delivery inspections.
Tell me what you're shipping.
Share the details below. I'll follow up with a quote for your route and vehicle.
- Answer within the hour7am–9pm Eastern, seven days a week
- Your info stays with meNever sold to five other brokers
- No payment to book$0 until a carrier is assigned
Prefer to talk?
(567) 666-4241
Ready to get your vehicle moving?
Request a quote for your route. No deposit, no obligation, and no handing your number to five other brokers.








