Car/Vehicle Shipping Cost from West Des Moines, Iowa to Houston, Texas

Cost of Shipping a Car from Iowa to Texas Shipping a car 918 miles from Iowa to Texas generally costs between $836 and $1,209. Factors like fuel prices and pickup flexibility can impact your quote. Learn more about car shipping costs here. To get the best price, try to book in advance and compare multiple quotes.

Generally, driving is cheaper than shipping for shorter distances, but the cost difference shrinks and shipping can become a better value for long hauls when factoring in hidden costs like wear & tear, time, and your own travel expenses (lodging, food). For very long trips (1000+ miles) or unreliable cars, the added costs of driving (depreciation, maintenance, fatigue) might make shipping more economical overall, say Move.org and SoFi.

The cheapest way to ship a car to another state is by using an open transport carrier, which loads your vehicle onto a large, multi-car trailer, often for hundreds less than enclosed options, especially if you opt for terminal-to-terminal delivery, book in the off-season (fall/spring), and stay flexible with dates, saving more by avoiding last-minute costs and using companies like Montway Auto Transport or Ship a Car Direct.