1-3
DAYS TO PICKUP, HARTFORD-NEW HAVEN
$500-$1,700
OPEN TRANSPORT, BY DESTINATION
I-95 · I-84 · I-91
PRIMARY CARRIER CORRIDORS
Key Takeaways
Typical cost: Connecticut to Florida runs $900-$1,350 on an open carrier, the Midwest $700-$1,000, Texas $1,000-$1,400, cross-country to California $1,300-$1,700, and short moves to New York or Boston $500-$750. Enclosed transport typically adds 40-60 percent.
Transit time: Florida takes 3-5 days, the Midwest 2-3 days, Texas 4-6 days, and the West Coast 7-10 days once the vehicle is picked up.
Seasonality: Snowbird demand surges October through December on southbound lanes and reverses March through May. Book 2-3 weeks ahead in either window.
Savings tip: Flexible dates and meeting the carrier at a wide lot off I-91 or I-84 instead of a narrow shoreline street can cut $75-$150 off your price.
Process: You get a dedicated coordinator and a vetted, insured carrier with cargo coverage up to $2M available. Nothing is due until a driver is assigned, and your vehicle is tracked by GPS throughout.
Popular Car Shipping Routes from Connecticut
Connecticut sits on I-95 between New York and Boston, the densest stretch of the busiest auto transport corridor in the country, so carriers pass through the shoreline daily and pickup windows in the Hartford and New Haven areas are short. Northwest Connecticut and the Quiet Corner add a day or two because fewer trucks run those lanes. These are the routes we book most often from Connecticut.
- Connecticut to Florida - 1,200-1,350 miles, 3-5 days
- Connecticut to Texas - 1,700-1,800 miles, 4-6 days
- Connecticut to California - 2,900 miles, 7-10 days
- Connecticut to Chicago - 850 miles, 2-3 days
- Connecticut to New York or Boston - 100-150 miles, 1-2 days
Shipping a Car Out of Hartford and New Haven
Hartford and New Haven both sit within a mile or two of I-91 and I-95, so carriers reach them without detouring, and most suburban streets in Greater Hartford, West Hartford, and the New Haven suburbs handle a full car hauler. Where a street is too narrow, which happens in older shoreline villages and downtown blocks, the driver stages from a wide lot or shopping center nearby and your coordinator confirms the exact meeting spot before pickup day.
The shoreline stretch of I-95 through New Haven and Bridgeport is one of the slowest sections of the corridor at rush hour, so drivers often schedule Connecticut pickups early in the morning or after the evening peak. Winter is the other timing factor. January and February storms can add a day to pickup or transit, so build a small buffer in if your dates are tight.
Fairfield County and Northwest Connecticut
Fairfield County is the busiest part of the state for enclosed requests. Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan, and Westport send a steady flow of high-value vehicles south each fall, and many owners there choose enclosed to keep winter road salt off the paint. Northwest Connecticut and the Quiet Corner are the opposite case: Litchfield, Torrington, and the towns east of Willimantic sit off the interstates, so pickups there typically take 1-2 days longer than in the Hartford or New Haven metros. The busiest snowbird lanes out of the state run from Fairfield County and the shoreline to Florida, at their peak from October through December.
Connecticut Car Shipping FAQs
Most standard sedans and SUVs run $900-$1,350 on an open carrier from Hartford or New Haven to Florida. Enclosed transport typically adds 40-60 percent. During the October through December snowbird surge, southbound prices sit toward the top of that range, so booking 2-3 weeks ahead helps you lock a better rate.
Cross-country runs of about 2,900 miles typically price at $1,300-$1,700 for open transport. That works out to a lower cost per mile than shorter routes because the carrier keeps the vehicle for the full run. Enclosed service typically adds 40-60 percent to the open price.
Pickup in the Hartford or New Haven area usually happens within 1-3 days of booking, and Northwest Connecticut or the Quiet Corner adds 1-2 days. Once the car is loaded, count on 2-3 days to Chicago, 3-5 days to Florida, 4-6 days to Texas, and 7-10 days to the West Coast.
January through February and midsummer are the softest markets, since snowbird demand has passed and carriers have open capacity. The most expensive windows are October through December southbound and March through May northbound. Flexible pickup dates can save you $75-$150 in any season.
Often yes, but not always. A 75-foot rig cannot turn onto many older shoreline village streets or downtown blocks in Hartford, New Haven, or Stamford. When that is the case the driver stages from a wide lot or shopping center off I-91, I-84, or I-95, and your coordinator confirms the exact meeting spot with you and the driver before pickup day.
Short moves of 100 to 150 miles run $500-$750 on an open carrier. Pricing on very short lanes is driven more by carrier minimums than by mileage, so a Hartford to Boston move and a Stamford to New York move often quote close to the same number.
Open transport is the right choice for most vehicles and prices at $500-$1,700 from Connecticut depending on destination. Enclosed typically adds 40-60 percent and makes sense for classics, exotics, and low-clearance cars. It is a common request out of Fairfield County, both for vehicle value and to keep winter road salt off the paint.
Most carriers allow up to 100 lbs of personal items in the trunk or below the window line. Anything more can trigger extra charges or a refused pickup, and personal items are not covered by the carrier’s cargo insurance, so keep valuables out of the vehicle.
Yes. Every carrier we assign holds active cargo insurance, with coverage up to $2M available for high-value vehicles, and we can send you the certificate of insurance on request before pickup. Nothing is due until a driver is assigned to your shipment.
