Moving From New York to Atlanta: I-95, Then I-85 South
The trip is about 865 miles. Freight leaving the city usually crosses New Jersey on the Turnpike, takes the Delaware Memorial Bridge and follows I-95 through Delaware, Maryland and Virginia before turning onto I-85 in the southern part of Virginia. From there it is North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, with the last miles coming into the metro from the northeast through Gwinnett County. LTL trailers stop at terminals along the way, so the exact path for your load can vary.
Once your shipment is picked up, transit runs about 2 to 4 business days. Pickup is set for 2 to 10 business days after you book, so booking to delivery spans roughly four to fourteen business days. Same-week pickup is often possible, though it can carry an extra fee. Both cities run on Eastern time, so there is no clock change to think about when you read your delivery window.
Who Ships a Small Load From NYC to Georgia
Rent is a common reason people leave New York for Atlanta. A New Yorker paying for a one-bedroom in Queens often finds that similar money in Atlanta gets a bigger place, frequently with a washer, a dryer and a parking space, and starts there with only the furniture worth keeping. Remote workers who keep a New York job are part of this move too, and their monitors and computers can travel with our electronics shipping service.
Plenty of people are going home, too. Many New York families have roots in Georgia and the Carolinas, and Atlanta puts them within a drive of relatives. Add graduate students starting at Georgia State or at SCAD on Peachtree Street, and retirees from the outer boroughs moving near grandchildren in the suburbs. A typical load might be: a bed, a dresser, a loveseat, a desk, some framed prints and twenty to forty boxes.
New York to Atlanta Moving Cost by Load Size
These ranges are published for this route. Your price follows actual packed weight and the space the load uses, packing is already inside every figure, and the estimator gives the exact amount for your item list.
| What You’re Moving |
Estimated Cost |
| A few furniture pieces + boxes (~500 lbs) |
$800 to $1,200 |
| Bedroom set (bed, dresser, nightstand, boxes) |
$950 to $1,400 |
| Studio apartment contents (~1,000 lbs) |
$1,300 to $1,900 |
| One-bedroom apartment (~1,500 lbs) |
$1,600 to $2,300 |
| Route |
Small Load (~500 lbs) |
Medium Load (~1,200 lbs) |
| New York to Atlanta |
$800 to $1,200 |
$1,400 to $2,100 |
| New York to Charlotte |
$750 to $1,100 |
$1,300 to $1,950 |
| New York to Nashville |
$800 to $1,200 |
$1,400 to $2,050 |
| New York to Birmingham |
$850 to $1,250 |
$1,450 to $2,150 |
After weight, the delivery choice moves the number most. Will-Call, where you collect the shipment at the destination terminal, is the least expensive. Full Service, with the crew carrying everything into your new place, is the most complete. If you would rather spread the cost out, financing is available through Enhancify.
New York Pickup: Co-ops, Old Elevators and the Curb
Pickup is the part of a New York to Atlanta move that needs the most planning. Every estimate includes white glove pickup from the first floor of your building. Tell us the floor, whether there is an elevator and how far it is from the curb to your door.
Big managed complexes like Stuyvesant Town and prewar buildings in Kew Gardens and along the Grand Concourse often limit move-outs to weekday hours. Ask the super or the management office for the move-out rules as soon as you have a date, and pass them along when you book.
Curb space decides how quickly loading goes. A truck needs a legal spot close to the entrance, and hydrants, bus stops and bike lanes take up many of them. Houses with driveways, such as those in Great Kills or New Dorp on Staten Island, tend to be the simpler pickups.
Atlanta Delivery: Towers, Garden Complexes and Subdivisions
Most New Yorkers get more room in Atlanta, and often more stairs. Mid-rise buildings around Lindbergh and Peachtree Hills usually want the move-in time reserved with the leasing office, and towers on Peachtree Street may ask for an elevator booking. Check the rules with the building, then call (866) 333-8018 to go over access before you book.
Garden-style complexes, common from Clarkston to Hapeville, often put upper units at the top of an outdoor staircase, and gated ones need an entry code for the truck. Older intown streets in Ansley Park, Druid Hills and Poncey-Highland are narrow and lined with big trees, which can keep a large truck away from the house. If you are moving onto one of these streets, describe the street and the driveway when you book.
Farther out, subdivisions around Buford, Dacula, McDonough and Stockbridge often have HOA rules on where a truck can park and for how long. Check them before delivery day and give us the gate or entrance details when you book. For community resources and transportation information across the metro before you arrive, the Atlanta Regional Commission is a useful place to start.
Picking the Right Weeks to Move South
In March and April, Atlanta’s pine pollen leaves a yellow film on anything left outside, so sofas and upholstered chairs are better carried straight indoors that time of year. Summer delivery days are hot and humid, with afternoon thunderstorms that build quickly. Winter on this route is usually mild, though an ice storm in the Carolinas or north Georgia can cost a day now and then. Many New York leases end on the last day of the month, so book at least 10 days ahead if you need a particular pickup date.
