Shipping a car from California to New York costs $1,325 to $1,750 on an open carrier, depending on season and city pair, and takes 5 to 8 days on the road. Pickup is arranged within 1 to 3 business days. The figures on this page come from current carrier market rates and 345 SAKAEM shipments on this lane.
Fall orders paid $1,325 to $1,735. Market rate today, Los Angeles to New York City: $1,505; SUV $1,590, pickup $1,830, van $1,990, enclosed from $2,440. New York to California: $1,485.
Going the other way? See New York to California car shipping.
Current market price for a 2020-model vehicle from Los Angeles to New York City, including SAKAEM's service fee. Larger vehicles take more trailer space, so they cost more; enclosed trailers carry fewer cars and cost about 60% more.
| Vehicle | Open carrier | Enclosed carrier |
|---|---|---|
| Sedan / coupe | $1,505 | $2,440 |
| SUV / crossover | $1,590 | $2,580 |
| Pickup truck | $1,830 | $2,990 |
| Van / minivan | $1,990 | Quote on request |
Carrier market rate for this lane on October 7, 2026, plus SAKAEM's service fee. Your quote uses the same pricing with your exact ZIP codes, vehicle and date; a car that does not run adds roughly $150 to $200.
Where California cars go in New York, and what the trip costs today for a sedan on an open carrier. New York City and Long Island take about two thirds of this lane's orders; Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse most of the rest.
| From | To | Open carrier, sedan | Price · transit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego, CA | New York City, NY | $1,4455–8 days transit | |
| 2 | Los Angeles, CA | Buffalo, NY | $1,4955–8 days transit | |
| 3 | Los Angeles, CA | New York City, NYroute page | $1,5055–8 days transit | |
| 4 | Los Angeles, CA | Rochester, NY | $1,5755–8 days transit | |
| 5 | San Francisco, CA | New York City, NY | $1,6155–8 days transit | |
| 6 | San Jose, CA | Long Island (Huntington), NY | $1,6755–8 days transit | |
| 7 | Sacramento, CA | Albany, NY | $1,7505–8 days transit | |
$1,400$1,600$1,800 |
Market rates on October 7, 2026 for a 2020 sedan, plus service fee. Upstate deliveries (Buffalo, Rochester) are not cheaper than the city despite the shorter drive, because fewer trucks finish there; Bay Area and Sacramento pickups add $100 to $250.
Prices paid on 345 SAKAEM shipments on this lane, 2022 to 2026, grouped by the season the order was placed. Winter is about 25% cheaper than summer, the widest seasonal gap of any lane we run.
| Season | Orders | Median paid | Middle half | What drives it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter (Dec to Feb) | 64 | $1,250 | $1,190–$1,400 | Cheapest window by a wide margin; eastbound trucks run light after the holidays. |
| Spring (Mar to May) | 112 | $1,550 | $1,400–$1,895 | The busiest season on this lane: March and April alone carry a quarter of the year's orders. |
| Summer (Jun to Aug) | 100 | $1,650 | $1,468–$1,881 | Highest prices; July is the peak month for relocations into the city. |
| Fall (Sep to Nov) | 69 | $1,350 | $1,275–$1,525 | Prices drop after Labor Day; October has a second small bump from students. Fall 2026 orders so far paid $1,565 to $1,900. |
Order totals including the service fee, all vehicle types. Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Tesla make up a quarter of the cars on this lane, which lifts the spring and summer medians.
The ten most recent single-vehicle orders delivered on this lane, with the price the customer paid and the days the car spent on the truck.
| Booked | From | To | Vehicle | Paid | Days on truck |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2026 | Los Angeles, CA | Brooklyn, NY | 2023 Hyundai Kona | $1,565 | 6 |
| Sep 2026 | Redwood City, CA | West Hempstead, NY | 2017 BMW X4 | $1,725 | 8 |
| Sep 2026 | Walnut Creek, CA | White Plains, NY | 2010 Audi S4 | $1,900 | 7 |
| Aug 2026 | Garden Grove, CA | Bayside, NY | 2021 Tesla Model 3 | $1,900 | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Los Angeles, CA | Brooklyn, NY | 2014 Toyota Prius | $1,750 | 7 |
| Jun 2026 | El Cajon, CA | Huntington, NY | 2025 BMW X3 | $2,150 | 7 |
| May 2026 | San Mateo, CA | Fairport, NY | 2015 Jeep Renegade | $1,800 | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | Valley Village, CA | Webster, NY | 1957 Chevrolet 3200 | $2,121 | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | Santa Clarita, CA | Flushing, NY | 2025 Toyota RAV4 | $1,550 | 10 |
| Apr 2026 | Palm Springs, CA | New York, NY | 2019 BMW 4 Series | $2,000 | 6 |
All running vehicles. Spring and summer 2026 prices ran above the current market rate shown higher up the page; the seasonal table explains why.
Price your own car and ZIP codes on today's carrier rates. No upfront deposit, free cancellation.
Get my exact quote(470) 912-2692This is the longest common lane in the country, and it runs on two corridors: I-40 through the Southwest and across Tennessee for Southern California pickups, I-80 across the Rockies and the Plains for the Bay Area and Sacramento. Both end on I-80 or I-90 into the state. Trucks fill in Los Angeles; a Bay Area car usually waits a day or two longer for a full load. The same rules apply to any cross-country car shipment.
Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx take the majority of deliveries, and none of them is a place a 75-foot car hauler can park. Drivers arrange a door-to-door handoff at a wide avenue, a mall lot in Queens or Long Island, or a highway exit in New Jersey, and the last few miles are yours. Agreeing that spot the day before is what keeps deliveries on time.
Spring and summer are the peak eastbound, with March, April and July the busiest months and a 25% premium over winter. New York to California peaks in winter instead, when snowbirds and students head west, so the two directions have paid the same $1,500 median over four years. Today the two rates sit within $20 of each other, $1,505 eastbound and $1,485 westbound.
I shipped my car from California to Michigan and Sakaem came back with the best quote and answered all of my questions. I wish they could tell you an exact day they could pick up, but overall the service was great and I got my car in less than a week with no issues.
I was skeptical of all shipping companies but pleasantly 😮 surprised with Sakaem. They gave me a reasonable quote for shipping my car across country and lived up to their quote. They followed through on securing a driver and picked up my car 3 days after booking.
Sakaem Logistics transported my son's Acura from Los Angeles, CA to Waco, Texas in 5 days. Tim, who drove the transport was professional and courteous and kept communications prior to pickup and close to delivery time. Everything went smoothly with no issues. Price was competitive with other firms. I will use Sakaem again and highly recommend them for your transport needs.
Los Angeles and San Diego are the cheapest origins because eastbound trucks fill there. Bay Area, Sacramento and Central Valley pickups add $100 to $250 and a day or two.
Spring and summer demand lifts prices about 25% over winter, the widest seasonal swing on any lane we run. Winter weather on I-80 can add a day of transit but rarely changes the price.
A sedan is the base rate. SUVs add about $85, pickups about $325 and vans about $485, because they take more deck space and weight on a 9-car trailer.
Open transport is what nine in ten customers on this lane choose. Enclosed transport costs about 60% more and is the usual choice for the Mercedes, BMW and Tesla owners who make up a quarter of this lane.
A car that does not start needs a carrier with a winch, which adds roughly $150 to $200 and narrows the pool of trucks. Inoperable vehicles are rare on this lane, about one order in seventy.
A handoff point the truck can reach is the difference between on-time delivery and a day's delay in New York City. A parking lot, a wide avenue or a spot just off the highway all work; a brownstone block does not. The carrier's cargo policy covers the car throughout; see how auto transport insurance works.
Want the full picture? Read our guide to the cost to ship a car.
Give us the California pickup ZIP, the New York delivery ZIP, the vehicle and whether it runs.
Compare the open and enclosed price and pick a first available date. There is no upfront deposit and cancellation is free.
A carrier is assigned within 1 to 3 business days and the driver calls to agree the handoff spot and time.
Inspect the car against the Bill of Lading, note anything new, and pay the balance to the driver. See the handoff paperwork, and who can take delivery on your behalf.
New to auto transport? Here's how to ship a car, step by step, and our vehicle shipping tips.
Shipping a car from California to New York costs $1,325 to $1,750 on an open carrier, depending on season and city pair, and takes 5 to 8 days on the road. Fall orders paid $1,325 to $1,735; the market rate today for a standard sedan is $1,505 to $1,750 depending on the city pair, with SUVs around $1,590, pickups around $1,830 and vans around $1,990 on the Los Angeles to New York City lane. Enclosed transport is roughly $2,440 to $2,990. Across 345 SAKAEM shipments on this lane since 2022 the median price paid was $1,500, with the middle half between $1,327 and $1,800.
The drive is about 2,800 miles and takes 5 to 8 days on the road once the carrier has picked up the car; the median on our orders is 7 days. Pickup is scheduled separately: SAKAEM assigns a carrier within 1 to 3 business days for about 95% of shipments.
Today's market rate is about $1,505 from Los Angeles to New York City and $1,485 the other way, so the two directions are within $20 of each other right now. Over the last four years the two directions have paid the same median, $1,500, because New York to California peaks in winter when snowbirds and students head west, while California to New York peaks in spring and summer.
Winter. Orders placed from December to February had a median price of $1,250, against $1,650 in summer and $1,550 in spring, a difference of about 25%. March, April and July are the busiest months on this lane.
Yes, with planning. Car haulers are 75 feet long and cannot stop on most residential streets in Brooklyn, Queens or Manhattan, so the driver arranges a handoff at a wide street, a parking lot or a nearby exit. Brooklyn is the single most common delivery point on this lane; Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse are reached on the same trucks via I-90.
Open transport is what about nine in ten customers on this lane book. Enclosed transport costs about 60% more and makes sense for a classic, exotic or new luxury car; Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Tesla together make up a quarter of the cars shipped on this lane.
Yes, as long as it rolls, brakes and steers and you can provide a key. Tell us when you request the quote so a carrier with a winch is assigned; expect roughly $150 to $200 more than a running car.
Up to 100 lbs of personal items in the trunk or below the window line is included. Anything above that may be charged by the carrier, and valuables and documents should travel with you.
An adult you choose must be at both ends to inspect the car with the driver and sign the Bill of Lading. It does not have to be you; a friend, family member or doorman with your authorization works.
Have another question? Browse the full car shipping FAQ, or see car shipping in New York and car shipping in California.
Share your pickup and delivery ZIP codes and your vehicle, and compare a transport plan priced on today's carrier rates.
Industry Resources: FMCSA Carrier Lookup · U.S. Department of Transportation · SAKAEM Logistics on BBB · NHTSA
