Moving From the Bay Area to Seattle: 810 Miles Up I-5
The trip is about 810 miles. Freight leaving San Francisco, Oakland or San Jose crosses to I-5 in the Central Valley, then follows it north past Mount Shasta, over the Siskiyou Mountains into Oregon, up the Willamette Valley and across the Columbia River into Washington. Three states, one interstate for most of the way.
Plan on 5 to 9 business days in transit once your shipment is picked up. Because LTL freight moves through terminals, the truck that collects your things in the Bay Area is not always the one that brings them to Seattle. In winter, snow and chain controls over the Siskiyou pass can slow I-5 freight, so leave some slack in your plans if you are moving between December and February.
Who Takes This Route
The people who ship small loads between these two metros are often following work: a new role at a South Lake Union office, a team that moved to the Eastside, a partner starting at a hospital or university in Seattle. Others are leaving Bay Area rents behind, or moving for Washington’s lack of a state personal income tax. Most are going from one apartment to another, which is why a studio or one-bedroom is the typical shipment here. Our electronics shipping service covers the tech setups common on this lane.
Bay Area to Seattle Moving Cost
These are the published price ranges for this route. Your exact price depends on the packed weight and the space your load takes, and the online estimator gives you the figure. The Move.org guide to hiring a mover outlines what to look for in a written estimate.
| What You’re Moving |
Estimated Cost |
| A few furniture pieces + boxes (~500 lbs) |
$750 to $1,200 |
| Bedroom set (bed, dresser, nightstand, boxes) |
$1,000 to $1,550 |
| Studio apartment contents (~1,000 lbs) |
$1,250 to $1,950 |
| One-bedroom apartment (~1,500 lbs) |
$1,550 to $2,400 |
Delivery anywhere in the Seattle area is priced on the same ranges:
| Route |
Small Load (~500 lbs) |
Medium Load (~1,200 lbs) |
| Bay Area to Seattle |
$750 to $1,200 |
$1,400 to $2,250 |
| Bay Area to Bellevue |
$750 to $1,200 |
$1,400 to $2,250 |
| Bay Area to Tacoma |
$750 to $1,200 |
$1,400 to $2,250 |
| Bay Area to Redmond |
$750 to $1,200 |
$1,400 to $2,250 |
Packing is already in these numbers. If you would rather pay over time, financing is available through Enhancify.
Shipping from Southern California instead? See our Los Angeles to Seattle small moves page.
Pickup Around the Bay
Bay Area housing changes a lot from one county to the next, and each kind of building needs a slightly different pickup plan. Every estimate includes white glove pickup from the first floor of your home or business.
- San Francisco flats on steep blocks. In Bernal Heights, Noe Valley and the Inner Sunset, the truck may park on a grade and the front steps can be long. Curb space is scarce, so call (866) 333-8018 to talk through parking on your block before you book.
- East Bay bungalows and duplexes. Rockridge, Temescal, Alameda and the Berkeley flats often have a driveway or an easy curb, which keeps the carry short.
- South Bay and Peninsula apartment complexes. Large garden complexes in Mountain View, Santa Clara and Redwood City often have gated parking and set move hours. Get the rules from the leasing office before you pick a pickup date.
If your unit is above the first floor, call (866) 333-8018 before you book to talk through access at your building.
Delivery Around Puget Sound
On the Seattle end, newer towers in South Lake Union and the Denny Triangle usually route moves through a loading dock and a reserved elevator slot. Older brick apartment buildings on Capitol Hill and in Lower Queen Anne are often walk-ups with no elevator at all. Across Lake Washington, downtown Bellevue condos book their service elevators ahead, while townhomes in Redmond and Kirkland usually have a garage or a short walk from the curb. In Tacoma, the Craftsman houses of the North End tend to have front steps and a porch.
Seattle residents can reserve curb space for a moving van with a Seattle Department of Transportation Temporary No Parking zone. The application must be in at least 24 hours ahead, and SDOT does not install signs on weekends or holidays, so a zone for a delivery right after a weekend has to be requested before it. Share your block and building details when you book so the delivery can be planned around them.
