Route guide · IA → AZ

Shipping a car from Iowa to Arizona

Shipping a running sedan from Des Moines to Phoenix costs about $975–$1,400 on an open carrier and $1,475–$2,100 in an enclosed trailer, with 3–6 days in transit. It ranks #131 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: $1,200
Road miles: 1,360
Days in transit: 3–6
People moving a year: 5.7K
Companies at both ends: 41

City to city

What it costs between Iowa and Arizona cities

Open-carrier prices for a running sedan between Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport and Sioux City and Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma and Flagstaff — 1,130 to 1,710 road miles apart.

From	Phoenix	Tucson	Yuma	Flagstaff
Des Moines	$975–$1,4001,360 mi · 3–6 days	$975–$1,4001,360 mi · 3–6 days	$1,025–$1,4751,540 mi · 4–6 days	$950–$1,3501,260 mi · 3–5 days
Cedar Rapids	$1,000–$1,4501,480 mi · 3–6 days	$1,000–$1,4501,480 mi · 3–6 days	$1,050–$1,5251,660 mi · 4–7 days	$975–$1,4001,380 mi · 3–6 days
Davenport	$1,025–$1,4501,530 mi · 4–6 days	$1,025–$1,4501,520 mi · 4–6 days	$1,075–$1,5251,710 mi · 4–7 days	$1,000–$1,4251,440 mi · 3–6 days
Sioux City	$950–$1,3501,240 mi · 3–5 days	$950–$1,3501,260 mi · 3–5 days	$1,000–$1,4251,420 mi · 3–6 days	$900–$1,3001,130 mi · 3–5 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

Des Moines to Phoenix, 1,360 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	$975–$1,400	$1,475–$2,100
Midsize SUV or crossover	$1,100–$1,550	$1,650–$2,350
Large SUV (Tahoe, Expedition)	$1,225–$1,750	$1,825–$2,625
Pickup truck	$1,275–$1,800	$1,900–$2,725
Motorcycle	$600–$825	$875–$1,250

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 Iowa to Arizona is January–May and September–November.

Cheapest: about $1,175 Peak: about $1,275

About this route

Why so many cars go from Iowa to Arizona

About 5,701 people moved from Iowa to Arizona in each of the last two years, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (6,805 in 2023, 4,596 in 2024). That is 7.9% of everyone who left Iowa for another state, making Arizona its #4 destination.

Traffic is lopsided: only about 2,632 people a year go the other way, Arizona to Iowa. Trucks heading into Arizona fill up quickly, so pickups are usually fast — but carriers have less reason to discount in peak months.

How the price compares

At a typical $1,175, shipping from Iowa to Arizona costs more than sending a car to Texas ($950) but less than to Florida ($1,250). That works out to about 86¢ a mile.

Distance and transit time

Expect about 1,360 road miles from Des Moines to Phoenix — 3–6 days on the truck after pickup. Carriers usually load several cars before heading out, so the pickup window matters as much as transit time. The car heads west-southwest and crosses one time zone — from Central to Mountain time — so confirm whether the delivery window you are given is in local time.

On the road

The route crosses mountain passes in the West; from November to March, snow and chain laws can hold trucks for a day or two.
Winter storms in Iowa can slow pickups and deliveries in December through February — leave slack in your schedule.

Companies

Car shipping companies for Iowa to Arizona

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 Iowa 6 companies · 6 carriers · 0 brokers · 17 trucks · 7 yrs avg.
Delivery end Arizona 35 companies · 26 carriers · 10 brokers · 141 trucks · 13 yrs avg.

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Based in

Both ends Iowa Arizona

Services Open car transport15 Enclosed car transport10 Classic car transport10 Cross-country shipping9 Luxury car transport9 Door-to-door delivery7 Dealer transport5 Motorcycle transport5

Company type

Any Carrier Broker

Years in business

Any 5+ 10+ 20+

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

Include 185 companies from other states that serve both Iowa and Arizona

41 companies for this route

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Budd Logistics

FMCSA verified

West Des Moines, IA · Carrier · 1 truck · 10 yrs in business · USDOT 2854949

Des Moines car hauler moving one to 20 vehicles at a time for dealers, auctions and remarketers.

Open car transport
Dealer transport
Auction transport