Best Interstate Moving Companies (January 2023)

Whether you’re going from California to South Carolina or New York to New Jersey, interstate moves can be stressful. You must find time to prepare your home and pack your belongings. You also need to consider logistical challenges such as transporting vehicles or large household items.

Moving companies assist with interstate moves to help ease the burden, but choosing one is a challenge. The This Old House Reviews Team has conducted in-depth reviews of of the nation’s top moving companies, analyzed thousands of customer reviews, and ranked them for the best interstate moving companies on the market today.

Based on our rigorous methodology and research, we named the following companies as the best interstate moving companies:

• International Van Lines: Best Overall Full-Service Mover
• Interstate Moving & Relocation Group: Most Efficient
• American Van Lines: Most Experienced Moving Labor
• Safeway Moving Inc.: Most Customer-Oriented
• JK Moving Services: Most Customizable Full-Service Mover
• Allied Van Lines: Best for Vehicle Relocation
• North American Van Lines: Best for Claims
• Coleman Worldwide Moving: Best for International Moves

International Van Lines

• Our Take: Best Overall Full-Service Mover
• State Availability: 50

International Van Lines (IVL) is our top pick for best interstate movers. The company is a full-service mover that helps with packing, loading, delivery, unpacking, and unloading. International Van Lines can add various other services and protection plans to these full-service options.

This company is ideal for someone who wants an all-inclusive moving experience in which the company handles every part of the interstate move. The company is available nationwide, provides flexibility in its services, and coordinates interstate moves of any size. Among its full-service offerings, IVL specializes in packing and moving fragile items for your peace of mind.

Pros and Cons

Cost

We received an estimate for moving a two-bedroom home from Portland, Oregon, to San Francisco for $2,015–$3,445. This includes having workers from the company load and drive the moving truck for you.

Get a Quote: Get a free estimate from International Van Lines

Learn More: International Van Lines Review

Interstate Moving & Relocation Group

• Our Take: Most Efficient
• State Availability: 50

Interstate Moving & Relocation Group (IMRG) is a good fit for anyone who wants to take some of the legwork out of finding the right mover for their needs. Unlike many companies in this guide, IMRG is a broker. This means that IMRG does not directly provide moving services but helps coordinate relocations through its network of independent local, long-distance, and international movers.

Customers fill out a detailed inventory of their household items and identify any special moving services they need online. From there, the company will match you with a fully vetted moving company suited to your specific relocation. In most cases, IMRG can email you a recommendation and an accurate moving quote within one business day of making your online request. IMRG provides information on its website about top-rated moving companies, along with helpful moving tips and checklists.

Pros and Cons

Cost

According to IMRG’s online moving calculator, it would cost approximately $4,450 to move a three-bedroom home from San Francisco to Portland, Oregon, in mid-April.

Get a Quote: Get a free estimate from Interstate Moving & Relocation Group

Learn More: Interstate Moving & Relocation Group Review

American Van Lines

• Our Take: Most Experienced Moving Labor
• State Availability: 48 (not available in Alaska or Hawaii)

American Van Lines (AVL) offers full-service residential, military, and corporate relocation services. Its movers average 10 years in the moving industry and receive comprehensive training. For customers with concerns about a long-distance moving company’s reliability, AVL’s experienced crews make the company a great choice.

American Van Lines furthers its commitment to reliability by hiring full-time long-distance movers, a departure from the popular choice of contractual workers. This approach allows the company’s movers to be ready for any difficult, challenging, or odd items you need relocated.

Pros and Cons

Cost

Because American Van Lines uses binding estimates, it does not provide detailed sample quotes. However, there are some ballpark prices for moves between major cities listed on its moving cost page. AVL’s up-front, flat-rate pricing structure means there will be no surprise expenses on moving day. The company estimates that moving from San Francisco to Portland, Oregon, would cost around $3,910 for a two-bedroom apartment (or 6,000 pounds).

Get a Quote: Get a free estimate from American Van Lines

Learn More: American Van Lines Review

Safeway Moving Inc.

• Our Take: Most Customer-Oriented
• State Availability: 50

Safeway Moving Inc. is a moving broker that works to connect you with an interstate moving company that fulfills your move’s criteria. Safeway puts a premium on customer service, keeping customers up to date throughout a move and providing prompt responses to questions and concerns. You can contact the company seven days a week. 

Safeway provides flat-rate estimates and backs its services with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. The company also donates a percentage of its moving fees to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Pros and Cons

Cost

Safeway provides binding estimates for its moves. Because of this, the company does not provide exact cost information online. Safeway requires a detailed evaluation of each move to provide fixed-rate pricing that does not change once it is quoted to you. The following factors influence your overall cost with Safeway:

• The services you purchase
• The total weight of your move
• The distance of your move
• Additional insurance purchased through a carrier

Get a Quote: Get a free estimate from Safeway Moving Inc.

Learn More: Safeway Moving Inc. Review

JK Moving Services

• Our Take: Most Customizable Full-Service Mover
• State Availability: 50

JK Moving is a full-service mover with greater flexibility than many competitors. The company not only customizes each moving package to each customer’s moving needs and budget, but it can provide financing for interstate moves. This is a rare option in the moving market. JK Moving can even provide rates as low as 0% same-as-cash. This means you can receive a full-service moving experience while not having to worry about expensive, up-front payments.

Pros and Cons

Cost

We received a ballpark estimate from JK Moving for a two-bedroom home (or 10,400 pounds) going from Atlanta to Chicago for $7,521. This includes furniture disassembly, wrapping and padding, loading, unloading, and full-value protection. Because JK Moving tailors each of its moving packages for each customer’s needs, the company does not feature sample pricing on its website.

Get a Quote: Get a free estimate from JK Moving Services

Learn More: JK Moving Services Review

Allied Van Lines

• Our Take: Best for Vehicle Relocation
• State Availability: 50, as well as 130 countries

Allied Van Lines is a full-service mover with more than 90 years of experience in the moving industry. The company provides a majority of its services in-house, including packing services, loading, transportation, unloading, and unpacking. This also includes providing in-house vehicle relocation services, which is a rare perk in the moving industry.

We recently conducted a survey of 1,000 consumers who have moved within the last five years. We found that 47% of them needed assistance to move a personal vehicle, and 64% of those respondents were trying to move their personal car. If you are looking to transport an additional vehicle with your interstate move, Allied Van Lines is an excellent choice.

Pros and Cons

Cost

Allied quoted us to move a two-bedroom home from Portland, Oregon, to San Francisco with an average amount of belongings for a total of $5,091–$5,798.

Get a Quote: Get a free estimate from Allied Van Lines

Learn More: Allied Van Lines Review

North American Van Lines

• Our Take: Best for Claims
• State Availability: 50, plus helps with international moves in 130 countries

North American Van Lines (NAVL) is a full-service mover that provides comprehensive insurance coverage for your belongings in transit and an easy claims process if something goes wrong. This makes the company a great choice for those looking to transport expensive belongings during interstate or cross-country moves.

In our survey of homeowners who had recently moved, we found that a majority of them opted for an add-on contents protection plan above what is required by law. Unfortunately, more than 65% needed to file a claim for damaged belongings. NAVL helps movers who find themselves in this situation by providing custom contents protection plans that cover the actual value of your belongings. In addition, the company has an easy and transparent claims process with separate claims forms for domestic and international moves across its website.

Pros and Cons

Cost

North American Van Lines quoted us to move a two-bedroom home from Portland, Oregon, to San Francisco for a total of $5,067–$5,770. This is for a medium-sized load.

Get a Quote: Get a free estimate from North American Van Lines

Learn More: North American Van Lines Review

 Coleman Worldwide Moving

• Our Take: Best for International Moves
• State Availability: 22*

Coleman Worldwide Moving helps individuals and families plan their move to a new home, whether it’s in a neighboring state or in a different country. Coleman maintains its own trucks and moving crews, conducting interstate moves with trained in-house teams and specialized equipment. Because Coleman operates with van line authority and serves 22 states, you will benefit from a more stress-free move by not having to work with unvetted third parties. 

For international moves, Coleman stands out for its destination services. Company representatives have detailed knowledge about 175 different countries, helping you navigate through any red tape that you may encounter during your move and upon arrival of your shipment. Coleman’s crews can help with every step of the moving process before the shipping company transports your freight, including custom crating for fragile items.

Pros and Cons

Cost

Coleman’s move coordinators conduct in-home consultations or a virtual survey before providing an official quote. However, you can call to request a ballpark estimate. Get your free Coleman moving quote. 

*State availability: Coleman provides moving services to Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington

Here are the most reputable interstate moving companies on the market today:

• International Van Lines: Best Overall Full-Service Mover
• Interstate Moving & Relocation Group: Most Efficient
• American Van Lines: Most Experienced Moving Labor
• Safeway Moving Inc.: Most Customer-Oriented
• JK Moving Services: Most Customizable Full-Service Mover
• Allied Van Lines: Best for Vehicle Relocation
• North American Van Lines: Best for Claims
• Coleman Worldwide Moving: Best for International Moves

A variety of factors can affect your overall cost on an interstate move. The average cost of interstate movers varies slightly from in-state or local movers due to regulations that moving companies are subject to in order to receive proper licenses to conduct interstate moves. Because of these regulations, some moving companies may require a fee for crossing state lines, even if the move is less than 100 miles.

Some of these regulations include the following:

• Safety regulations from national and state agencies
• Mover’s tariffs
• Vehicle insurance regulations
• Required released-value protection of 60 cents per pound per item
• Required full-value replacement coverage with different deductible options

Other factors may also impact your cost. Many of these factors are shared by most moving companies, but some will vary according to the services offered by a company.

These common factors impact the overall cost of your moving package:

• Location of your original residence
• Date and time of your move
• Overall distance of the move
• Truck parking access
• Truck size used
• Truck driver’s hours
• Hours worked by moving labor
• Fuel costs
• Number of portable storage containers used
• Size or weight of your move
• Additional protection plans you purchase
• Additional services you purchase

An interstate moving company helps with certain aspects of your move, but there are some steps that might slip past their moving checklists and processes. Read over some of the major steps and precautions you may want to take to make your interstate move go smoothly:

1. Determine What Type of Move You Need

Before you schedule with an interstate moving company, decide whether you want a full-service move or a self-service move. If you are looking to have a professional moving company handle practically every part of your move, then we recommend a full-service moving company like International Van Lines.

If you want to save money and do not mind dealing with steps like packing and loading, then we suggest you look more into self-service moving company, such as PODS.

2. Condense Your Belongings

Moving is a great time to cut down on any unwanted or underused belongings. We recommend you make two piles as you prepare for moving day. One of your piles should be dedicated to items you can donate, and the other pile should be dedicated to items you want to throw away. A few days before your movers arrive, you should spend some time taking each pile to its respective drop-off location.

3. Gather Packing Supplies

Begin gathering packing supplies such as boxes, bubble wrap, and packing tape several weeks before your upcoming move.

4. Notify Important People

You will most likely be telling all your close friends and family about your move, but there are some other individuals and institutions that you need to notify as well. Some significant ones to keep in mind are your internet provider, your electricity and water companies, other utility companies, insurance companies, tax agencies, the post office, and the Social Security Administration.

5. Check That Your Moving Company Is Properly Licensed

If you choose a company from this list, then you do not have to worry about this. All our recommended professional movers are licensed, bonded, and insured. If you decide to use another moving company, you want to make sure it is properly licensed, insured, and bonded. To do so, you obtain the company’s USDOT number and visit the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s website to search for the company.

6. Create an Inventory

An important step to take when making your inventory is to make note of the condition of your items and take photos of them. These photos and notes will come in handy if you have to file a damage claim for reimbursement.

Learn More: Moving Checklist — Your Guide to Moving

The This Old House Reviews Team backs up our moving company ratings and recommendations with a detailed rating methodology to objectively score each company. We conduct research by reading through the company websites, analyzing customer reviews, conducting consumer surveys, requesting quotes, and speaking with customer representatives. We then score each moving company against our review standards for services, contents coverage, scheduling, trailer and container options, additional benefits, and reputation to arrive at a final score out of 100.

To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.