1,120-1,175
MILES, DEPENDING ON METRO ADDRESS
2-4
DAYS IN TRANSIT, TYPICAL
$700-$1,000
OPEN TRANSPORT, BY SEASON
Shipping a car from Los Angeles to Seattle costs $700-$1,000 for open transport and takes 2-4 days in transit over roughly 1,120 to 1,175 miles, almost all of it on I-5. Carrier flow between the two metros is heavy in both directions year-round, which keeps pickup windows short. Use the instant quote calculator on this page for an exact price on your dates.
Key Takeaways
Typical cost: Open transport between the Los Angeles basin and Puget Sound runs $700-$1,000 for a standard sedan, with larger SUVs and trucks quoted toward the top of the band.
Transit time: Plan on 2-4 days on the truck, with pickup typically scheduled within 1-3 days of booking in either metro.
Seasonality: May through September is the industry peak, so summer quotes sit higher in the band than late fall and winter bookings.
Savings tip: Booking 1-2 weeks ahead with a flexible pickup window keeps your quote toward the $700-$850 end of the range.
Simple process: Your vehicle travels covered by $2M cargo insurance, with a joint condition report completed at pickup and again at delivery.
The I-5 Corridor
I-5 is the spine of the West Coast, and your vehicle rides it the whole way: out of the Los Angeles basin over the Grapevine, up the Central Valley past Sacramento and Redding, over the Siskiyou Summit into Oregon, then through Portland and Olympia into Seattle. The core Los Angeles to Seattle run is about 1,140 miles.
The route has three classic chokepoints. The Grapevine grade on Tejon Pass slows loaded carriers, Portland and Seattle metro traffic compress delivery windows at the north end, and congestion around Tacoma can add hours. Winter is the season to watch: the Siskiyou Summit sits at 4,310 feet on the California and Oregon line and sees chain requirements from November through March.
Seasonality on the Los Angeles to Seattle Corridor
This is not a snowbird lane. Demand builds through May and stays strong through September, matching the national moving season and the summer relocation wave between the two metros. Summer quotes typically sit in the upper half of the $700-$1,000 band.
Late fall and winter are the softest months in both directions, and quotes then often land toward $700-$850. The lane runs heavy year-round, so even off-peak vehicles rarely wait long for a carrier once booked. The trade-off in winter is mountain weather, so build a day or two of flexibility into cold-season bookings.
Shipping North: Los Angeles to Seattle
Northbound volume comes from households relocating from Southern California to the Puget Sound region, military families with orders to Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, and buyers moving auction and dealer purchases up the coast. The depth of both vehicle markets keeps carriers on I-5 every day.
Los Angeles pickups reward flexibility. Hillside streets, tight Westside blocks, and downtown restrictions are hard for full-size carriers, so drivers often stage in the San Fernando Valley, near the airport, or along I-5 in the northern suburbs. Metro pickups are typically scheduled within 1-3 days of booking.
Shipping South: Seattle to Los Angeles
Southbound shippers include households relocating to California, service members rotating out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and dealers sending inventory into the Los Angeles market. Southbound traffic picks up in winter as owners move vehicles out of the Pacific Northwest rain season.
Seattle pickups are straightforward once you account for the hills. Downtown and the steepest neighborhoods are awkward for carriers, so drivers often meet customers in Bellevue, Tukwila, or near the I-5 and I-405 interchanges. Metro pickups are typically scheduled within 1-3 days of booking, and outlying addresses can add 1-2 days.
Popular City Pairs on This Lane
- Los Angeles, CA to Seattle, WA: 1,140 miles, 2-4 days
- Long Beach, CA to Tacoma, WA: 1,130 miles, 2-4 days
- Anaheim, CA to Bellevue, WA: 1,175 miles, 2-4 days
- Burbank, CA to Everett, WA: 1,155 miles, 2-4 days
- Los Angeles, CA to Kent, WA: 1,120 miles, 2-4 days
