The I-5 Run North, From the Grapevine to Puget Sound
Freight leaving Los Angeles heads north on I-5 and stays on it for almost the entire trip. The first climb comes about an hour out: the Grapevine, where the interstate crosses Tejon Pass at a little over 4,000 feet before dropping into the San Joaquin Valley. After that it is a long, flat haul up the Central Valley toward the far north of the state.
California alone accounts for roughly 660 of the 1,135 miles. Past the state line, I-5 covers about 300 miles of Oregon and then about 165 miles of Washington before it reaches Seattle. The highest point on the whole interstate, Siskiyou Summit at 4,310 feet, sits a few miles into Oregon.
Both of those mountain crossings can get snow, and Caltrans sometimes shuts the Grapevine during winter storms. LTL freight also moves through terminals, so the truck that loads at your Los Angeles curb may not be the one that unloads in Seattle. That is why transit is quoted as a window of 5 to 10 business days rather than a fixed date. For a move between December and February, leave a couple of spare days between delivery and anything that depends on it.
Who Ships a Small Load North
Recent USC and UCLA graduates starting first jobs in Seattle, people from film, TV and music production moving into Puget Sound game and software studios, and remote workers trading 84 degree August afternoons for 78 degree ones are all common on this route. So are couples combining households, where one partner sends a few pieces north to join the other. Washington also does not tax wage income, which figures into the decision for some movers. Most are going from one apartment to another, so the usual shipment is a studio or a one-bedroom, not a house.
Moving Cost From Los Angeles to Seattle
These are the published ranges for this route. The figure for your move comes from the online estimator, based on the packed weight and the trailer space your load needs.
| What You’re Moving |
Estimated Cost |
| A few furniture pieces + boxes (~500 lbs) |
$850 to $1,350 |
| Bedroom set (bed, dresser, nightstand, boxes) |
$1,100 to $1,700 |
| Studio apartment contents (~1,000 lbs) |
$1,400 to $2,200 |
| One-bedroom apartment (~1,500 lbs) |
$1,750 to $2,650 |
Delivery to the Eastside or the South Sound costs the same as delivery inside the city:
| Route |
Small Load (~500 lbs) |
Medium Load (~1,200 lbs) |
| Los Angeles to Seattle |
$850 to $1,350 |
$1,550 to $2,500 |
| Los Angeles to Portland, OR |
$800 to $1,300 |
$1,500 to $2,400 |
| Los Angeles to Tacoma |
$850 to $1,350 |
$1,550 to $2,500 |
| Los Angeles to Bellevue |
$850 to $1,350 |
$1,550 to $2,500 |
The biggest lever on your price is what stays behind. Heavy, bulky pieces like a sectional or a solid wood armoire add the most weight, so compare the cost of shipping that furniture with the cost of buying again in Seattle before you book. Get your exact price at shipsmart.com/estimate or by calling (866) 333-8018, and ask about financing through Enhancify if you would rather pay over time.
This route starts with a pickup in Los Angeles. For pickup details across the city, see our small moves in Los Angeles page.
