Free tool · Gas prices updated weekly
Ship or drive? Compare the real cost of moving your car
Enter your route and car to see what driving it yourself really costs — gas, hotels, food, wear and your time — next to the price of shipping it and flying there. Then pick the smarter option.
Regular gas today: $4.48/gal U.S. average · EIA, week of September 21, 2026
Popular routes
Ship vs. drive: what it costs on popular routes
One person in a midsize car (29 MPG) at this week's gas prices. Driving includes gas, hotels, food and wear; shipping is a typical open-carrier price. Add your own travel if you'd fly.
| Route | Distance | Drive it yourself | Ship it |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY to Miami, FL | ~1,290 mi | $670–$1,2903–4 days · ~23 h at the wheel | $950–$1,380Car arrives in 3–5 days |
| Los Angeles, CA to New York, NY | ~2,900 mi | $1,630–$2,9906–8 days · ~53 h at the wheel | $1,430–$2,050Car arrives in 6–10 days |
| Chicago, IL to Phoenix, AZ | ~1,700 mi | $950–$1,7204–5 days · ~31 h at the wheel | $1,080–$1,530Car arrives in 4–7 days |
| Houston, TX to Los Angeles, CA | ~1,630 mi | $810–$1,7003–5 days · ~30 h at the wheel | $1,050–$1,500Car arrives in 4–6 days |
| Seattle, WA to San Diego, CA | ~1,250 mi | $720–$1,3403–4 days · ~23 h at the wheel | $950–$1,350Car arrives in 3–5 days |
| Boston, MA to Orlando, FL | ~1,320 mi | $680–$1,3003–4 days · ~24 h at the wheel | $980–$1,380Car arrives in 3–5 days |
| Dallas, TX to Atlanta, GA | ~840 mi | $400–$8602–3 days · ~15 h at the wheel | $780–$1,180Car arrives in 2–4 days |
| Denver, CO to Chicago, IL | ~1,070 mi | $480–$9702–3 days · ~19 h at the wheel | $880–$1,280Car arrives in 3–5 days |
| Philadelphia, PA to Tampa, FL | ~1,100 mi | $490–$9902–3 days · ~20 h at the wheel | $900–$1,300Car arrives in 3–5 days |
| San Francisco, CA to Las Vegas, NV | ~520 mi | $200–$5301–2 days · ~9 h at the wheel | $630–$1,000Car arrives in 2–3 days |
| Detroit, MI to Fort Myers, FL | ~1,290 mi | $670–$1,2903–4 days · ~23 h at the wheel | $950–$1,380Car arrives in 3–5 days |
| Atlanta, GA to Charlotte, NC | ~270 mi | $110–$1701 day · ~5 h at the wheel | $500–$850Car arrives in 1–2 days |
On short moves driving usually costs less; on long ones the ranges overlap, and shipping buys back days and hours at the wheel. If only the car needs to get there, add a flight home to the driving side. Your numbers change with your car, the number of people and how you travel. Run your own route above or get a detailed shipping estimate.
Gas prices this week
Average gas prices by region
Retail prices per gallon from the U.S. Energy Information Administration's weekly survey, week of September 21, 2026. The calculator averages the prices at both ends of your route.
| Region | Regular | Diesel |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. average | $4.48 | $6.53 |
| New England | $4.38 | $6.52 |
| Central Atlantic | $4.44 | $6.55 |
| Lower Atlantic | $4.16 | $6.14 |
| Midwest | $4.39 | $6.68 |
| Gulf Coast | $3.97 | $6.18 |
| Rocky Mountain | $4.51 | $6.34 |
| West Coast (excl. California) | $5.11 | $6.79 |
| California | $6.00 | $8.25 |
| Colorado | $4.26 | — |
| Florida | $4.22 | — |
| Massachusetts | $4.35 | — |
| Minnesota | $4.34 | — |
| New York | $4.42 | — |
| Ohio | $4.48 | — |
| Texas | $3.93 | — |
| Washington | $5.52 | — |
Method
How we compare driving and shipping
Every assumption is shown in the calculator and you can change it.
Fuel
Road miles ÷ your car's EPA combined MPG × this week's gas or diesel price. EVs use kWh per 100 miles × $0.45 per kWh at fast chargers.
Hotels
400–550 miles a day for one driver, 600–750 when two take turns, plus a snow day in winter up north; one night fewer than driving days, around $135 a room, one room per two people.
Food on the road
Around $40 per person per day — restaurants and road snacks beyond what you'd spend at home.
Wear
Tires, oil, maintenance and the value a car loses with mileage: from 10¢ a mile for a car 10+ years old to 30¢ for a new one. Fuel is counted separately.
Shipping
A typical open-carrier price for your distance, vehicle and month (snowbird and summer peaks cost more), from our shipping cost calculator.
Your own travel
Counted only when it applies: a flight out if you'd fly while the car ships, or a flight home if you drive a car somewhere and come back. About $250 per person, as a range.
Time and effort
Days on the road and hours at the wheel (at about 55 mph), shown next to the money. Add what a day off work is worth to you to price it in.
Beyond the money
When driving makes sense — and when shipping does
Drive it when…
- The move is under about 500 miles — a day's drive.
- You need to bring pets, plants or a car full of belongings.
- Two or more people share the driving and the costs.
- You want the car the day you arrive.
Ship it when…
- The move is cross-country and your days off are limited.
- You're moving more than one car.
- Winter roads, mountains or long solo driving worry you.
- You'd rather not add 1,000+ miles to a leased or valuable car.
Is it cheaper to ship a car or drive it?
It depends on who travels with the car. If only the car needs to get there — you bought it out of state or are sending it to family — driving it means a flight home too, and shipping is usually cheaper on trips over about 1,250 miles. If you are moving with the car, driving often costs less in cash, especially with two or more people in the car, but it costs days on the road: a coast-to-coast drive is about 51 hours at the wheel. If you would fly anyway, the costs meet at around 2,450 miles.
How much does it cost to drive across the country?
For one person driving about 2,800 miles in a car that gets 29 MPG, expect $1,530–$2,650 at today's average gas price of $4.48 a gallon: about $430 in gas plus hotels, food and wear on the car. It takes 6–7 days and roughly 51 hours of driving. Shipping the same car costs about $1,400–$2,000, and it arrives 6–10 days after pickup.
What does driving cost besides gas?
Hotels (around $135 a night), food on the road and wear on the car — tires, oil and the value a car loses with every mile, from about 10 cents a mile for an older car to 30 cents for a new one. On a leased car, extra miles can also cost $0.15–$0.30 each at lease end. The biggest cost isn't money: long days at the wheel are tiring, and fatigue is a real safety risk on a multi-day drive.
What are the downsides of shipping a car?
You're without the car for the pickup window plus transit — often one to two weeks on long routes — so you may need a rental. Pickup dates are a window, not an appointment, the car should be nearly empty (most carriers allow about 100 lb in the trunk), and you should inspect it carefully at delivery.
Where do the gas prices come from?
From the U.S. Energy Information Administration's weekly retail gasoline and diesel price survey, by region and for the states it reports separately. We update them automatically and average the prices at both ends of your route.
Is shipping or driving better for an electric car?
Driving an EV is cheap per mile even at public fast chargers (we assume $0.45 per kWh), but charging stops add hours to every day on the road. Shipping an EV costs about the same as a gas car of the same size, so on long trips the time saved usually decides it.