Route guide · FL → CA

Car shipping from Florida to California

Car transport from Florida to California runs 2,770 road miles between the biggest metros. Shipping a running sedan from Miami to Los Angeles costs about $1,400–$1,975 on an open carrier and $2,075–$2,975 in an enclosed trailer, with 6–10 days in transit. It ranks #40 among the 250 busiest car-shipping lanes, based on Census moving data.

Prices updated October 2026 · Estimates, not quotes · Calculate for your car →

Open carrier, sedan: $1,700
Road miles: 2,770
Days in transit: 6–10
People moving a year: 17.6K
Companies at both ends: 270

City to city

Cost to ship a car from Florida to California, city to city

Open-carrier prices for a running sedan between Miami, Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa and Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and San Jose — 2,460 to 3,090 road miles apart.

From	Los Angeles	San Francisco	San Diego	San Jose
Miami	$1,400–$1,9752,770 mi · 6–10 days	$1,475–$2,1253,090 mi · 7–11 days	$1,350–$1,9502,670 mi · 6–10 days	$1,475–$2,0753,010 mi · 7–11 days
Orlando	$1,350–$1,9252,620 mi · 6–9 days	$1,450–$2,0502,930 mi · 6–10 days	$1,325–$1,8752,530 mi · 6–9 days	$1,425–$2,0252,850 mi · 6–10 days
Jacksonville	$1,325–$1,8752,540 mi · 6–9 days	$1,400–$2,0252,840 mi · 6–10 days	$1,300–$1,8502,460 mi · 5–9 days	$1,400–$1,9752,760 mi · 6–10 days
Tampa	$1,325–$1,9002,550 mi · 6–9 days	$1,425–$2,0252,860 mi · 6–10 days	$1,300–$1,8502,460 mi · 5–9 days	$1,400–$2,0002,780 mi · 6–10 days

Estimate, not a quote

A pickup or delivery far from these metros usually adds $75–$150. Quotes move with fuel prices and truck space, so treat these as a yardstick. Price your own addresses →

By vehicle

Price by vehicle type

Miami to Los Angeles, 2,770 miles. Bigger and heavier vehicles take more room and weight on the trailer, so they cost more.

Vehicle	Open carrier	Enclosed
Sedan or small car	$1,400–$1,975	$2,075–$2,975
Midsize SUV or crossover	$1,550–$2,225	$2,325–$3,350
Large SUV (Tahoe, Expedition)	$1,750–$2,475	$2,600–$3,725
Pickup truck	$1,800–$2,575	$2,700–$3,875
Motorcycle	$825–$1,200	$1,250–$1,800

By month

Best time to ship

Prices on this lane peak in June–August (the summer moving peak), running about 8% above the quietest months. The cheapest time to ship from Florida to California is January–May and September–November.

Cheapest: about $1,700 Peak: about $1,825

About this route

Why so many cars go from Florida to California

About 17,569 people moved from Florida to California in each of the last two years, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (19,149 in 2023, 15,988 in 2024). That is 3.5% of everyone who left Florida for another state.

This is the lighter direction: about 37,623 people a year move California to Florida. Carriers that bring cars into Florida need loads back toward California, so it's worth asking for a backhaul price on this leg.

How the price compares

At a typical $1,700, shipping from Florida to California costs more than sending a car to Nevada ($1,625) and Arizona ($1,525) but less than to Washington ($1,850). That works out to about 61¢ a mile — long hauls cost less per mile because loading and paperwork are spread over more distance.

Distance and transit time

Count on 6–10 days on the truck for the 2,770 road miles from Miami to Los Angeles — federal rules cap drivers at 11 hours a day behind the wheel, and a full carrier makes several stops on the way. The car heads west-northwest and crosses 3 time zones — from Eastern to Pacific time — so confirm whether the delivery window you are given is in local time.

On the road

Trucks usually take the southern route across the desert Southwest, which stays open all winter — one reason this lane runs on schedule year-round.
Hurricane season (June–November) occasionally delays Gulf and Atlantic coast deliveries; carriers will reschedule rather than drive into a storm.

Companies

Car transport companies from Florida to California

Companies headquartered at either end of the route usually run this lane often. Filter by services, company type and safety record — every listing is matched to its FMCSA record.

Pickup end Florida 182 companies · 159 carriers · 27 brokers · 1,618 trucks · 10 yrs avg.
Delivery end California 88 companies · 67 carriers · 24 brokers · 1,921 trucks · 12 yrs avg.

Filter companies

Based in

Both ends Florida California

Services Open car transport71 Cross-country shipping56 Door-to-door delivery48 Enclosed car transport47 State-to-state shipping38 Luxury car transport37 Classic car transport36 Terminal-to-terminal shipping33

Company type

Any Carrier Broker

Years in business

Any 5+ 10+ 20+

Safety & insurance Satisfactory FMCSA safety rating Cargo insurance $250K+

Include 134 companies from other states that serve both Florida and California

270 companies for this route

Hilton Auto Transport

Featured FMCSA verified

Los Angeles, CA · Broker · 16 trucks · 34 yrs in business · USDOT 2232328

We are a family owned and operated nationwide auto transport and auto moving company with long experience specializing in shipping cars around the United…

Open car transport
Enclosed car transport
Door-to-door delivery
+7 more