1-3
DAYS TO PICKUP, WILMINGTON TO DOVER
$450-$1,500
OPEN TRANSPORT, BY DESTINATION
I-95 · US-13 · US-301
PRIMARY CARRIER CORRIDORS
Key Takeaways
Typical cost: Delaware to Florida runs $800-$1,250 on an open carrier, Delaware to New York $450-$650, the Midwest $650-$1,000, and cross-country to California $1,200-$1,500. Enclosed transport adds 40 to 60 percent.
Transit time: New York takes 1-2 days, the Carolinas 2-3 days, Florida 3-5 days, Texas 4-6 days, and the West Coast 7-10 days once the vehicle is picked up.
Seasonality: Southbound snowbird demand peaks October through December, and beach traffic tightens Sussex County pickups from June through August. Book 2-3 weeks ahead in those windows.
Savings tip: Flexible dates and meeting the carrier near an I-95 or US-13 interchange rather than in a beach town in season can cut $75-$200 off your price.
Process: You get a dedicated coordinator and a vetted, insured carrier. Nothing is due until a driver is assigned, and your vehicle is tracked by GPS throughout.
Popular Car Shipping Routes from Delaware
Delaware sits directly on I-95 between Philadelphia and Baltimore, one of the densest stretches of the busiest auto transport corridor in the country. Carriers pass through constantly, so pickup windows in the Wilmington to Dover corridor are short and the state rarely pays a repositioning premium. These are the routes we book most often from Delaware.
- Delaware to New York: 130-150 miles, 1-2 days
- Delaware to the Carolinas: 400-500 miles, 2-3 days
- Delaware to Florida: 1,000-1,100 miles, 3-5 days
- Delaware to Texas: 1,500-1,650 miles, 4-6 days
- Delaware to California: 2,700-2,800 miles, 7-10 days
Shipping a Car Out of Wilmington and Dover
Wilmington is the easiest pickup in the state. It sits right on I-95 with I-495 as a bypass, carriers stage from lots near the Route 202 and Route 141 interchanges, and most residential streets in New Castle County take a full-size hauler without trouble.
Dover is straightforward as well, reached on US-13 and DE-1, though it sees fewer trucks per week than Wilmington, so a day of buffer helps. Delaware also draws a steady volume of newly purchased vehicles because of how the state handles sales tax and registration, and those cars ship out on the same lanes.
Sussex County and the Delaware Beaches
Rehoboth Beach, Lewes, Bethany Beach, and the rest of Sussex County are served by carriers running US-113 and DE-1, and pickups there usually take a day longer than in Wilmington because trucks have to come off I-95. From June through August, beach traffic and narrow resort streets make a meeting point at a shopping center lot the practical choice. Off-season pickups in the same towns are among the easiest in the state.
Delaware Car Shipping FAQs
Most standard sedans and SUVs run $800-$1,250 on an open carrier from the Wilmington to Dover corridor to Florida. Enclosed transport adds 40 to 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 2,700 to 2,800 miles typically price at $1,200-$1,500 for open transport. The cost per mile is lower than on short East Coast lanes because the carrier keeps the vehicle for the full run. Enclosed service adds 40 to 60 percent to the open price.
Pickup in the Wilmington to Dover corridor usually happens within 1-3 days of booking. Once the car is loaded, count on 1-2 days to New York, 2-3 days to the Carolinas, 3-5 days to Florida, 4-6 days to Texas, and 7-10 days to the West Coast.
Delaware sits in the middle of the I-95 corridor rather than at the end of it, so carriers are already passing through on nearly every East Coast run. There is no repositioning cost to build into the quote, which keeps short northbound and southbound lanes among the most competitive in the Northeast.
Not the shipping itself, but it is a common reason people ship from Delaware. The state draws a steady volume of out-of-state buyers, and those vehicles move on the same I-95 and US-13 lanes as everything else. Your coordinator can arrange pickup directly from a dealer or a private seller.
Yes, though timing matters. From June through August, Rehoboth Beach, Lewes, and Bethany Beach see heavy traffic and narrow resort streets, so drivers usually arrange a meeting point at a nearby shopping center lot. Outside the summer season these pickups are among the easiest in the state.
Late winter through early spring is the softest market, once the southbound snowbird rush has passed and before summer moving and beach season start. The most expensive windows are October through December heading south and June through August in Sussex County. Flexible dates can save you $75-$200 in any season.
Open transport is the right choice for most vehicles and prices at $450-$1,500 from Delaware depending on destination. Enclosed adds 40 to 60 percent and makes sense for classics, exotics, and low-clearance cars. Some owners also choose it in winter to keep road salt off the vehicle.
Yes. Inoperable vehicles ship on carriers equipped with a winch, and the surcharge is typically $100-$200 on top of the open rate. The vehicle still needs to roll, brake, and steer. Tell your coordinator up front so the right equipment is assigned.
