Iowa to Michigan Car Shipping (2024 Cost Guide)
Fact Checked by: Quick answer: The average cost to ship a car 580 miles from Iowa to Michigan ranges from $720 to $947 and takes one–six days depending on factors like the transport type and season. For a more detailed quote, use our car shipping cost calculator.
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Shipping a car the reverse route? We’ve got you covered with our Michigan to Iowa car shipping guide.
The best Iowa to Michigan car shipping companies
We’ve done the research and these are the best car shipping companies to help transport your vehicle from Iowa to Michigan:
- Best for accurate pricing: Sherpa Auto Transport
- Best cross-country shipper: Montway Auto Transport
- Best for discounts: AmeriFreight Car Transport
- Best for overall value: SGT Auto Transport
- Best for quick pickup: Easy Auto Ship
- Price Lock Promise
- Pay by credit card
- Free car wash at delivery
- No upfront deposit
- Door-to-door service
- No upfront payment
- GPS tracking
- Multiple insurance options
- Competitive pricing
- Door-to-door shipping
- Competitive pricing
- Last-minute car shipments
- Guaranteed & expedited shipments
- Gap insurance coverage
- Multiple discounts
- No hidden fees
- Free online quotes
- Door-to-door service in 48 states
- Exact pickup dates
- Ships to & from HI
- No upfront deposit
- Expedited shipping
- No hidden fees
- Ships motorcycles & RVs
- Discount for cash payments
Alternative ways to ship your car from Iowa to Michigan
- Drive it yourself. This is straightforward but not always an option, and it will put about 580 miles on your car going from Iowa to Michigan. If you’re not sure, here are the pros and cons of driving your car vs shipping it.
- Ship it with your movers. If you need to ship your car from Iowa for a move to Michigan, you may want to hire a moving company that can handle car shipping, as well. Many long-distance moving companies work with reputable car shippers to coordinate auto transport.
- Hire a driver. Hire someone to drive the car from Iowa to Michigan for you. It’s an option, but will probably be a very costly one and involve trusting a driver to safely get your car to its destination.
- Ship by train. If this is an option for you, it’s an affordable and secure way of shipping your vehicle. Shipping a car by train is actually the cheapest way to ship your car!
IA to MI auto transport costs and transit times
The tables below detail the costs and estimated transit times for shipping a car between popular cities in Iowa and Michigan. The average travel distance is about 580 miles, with shipping times typically ranging from one to six days .
Cost to ship a car from Des Moines, IA to Michigan
| From Iowa to Michigan | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines, IA to Detroit, MI | $758 – $1,005 | 601 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Des Moines, IA to Grand Rapids, MI | $654 – $899 | 495 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Des Moines, IA to Warren, MI | $722 – $1,035 | 611 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Des Moines, IA to Sterling Heights, MI | $751 – $1,005 | 615 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Des Moines, IA to Ann Arbor, MI | $655 – $996 | 560 miles | 1 – 6 days |
Cost to ship a car from Cedar Rapids, IA to Michigan
| From Iowa to Michigan | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids, IA to Detroit, MI | $631 – $886 | 515 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Cedar Rapids, IA to Grand Rapids, MI | $611 – $779 | 409 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Cedar Rapids, IA to Warren, MI | $683 – $904 | 524 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Cedar Rapids, IA to Sterling Heights, MI | $691 – $936 | 529 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Cedar Rapids, IA to Ann Arbor, MI | $648 – $907 | 474 miles | 1 – 4 days |
Cost to ship a car from Davenport, IA to Michigan
| From Iowa to Michigan | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Davenport, IA to Detroit, MI | $615 – $860 | 435 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Davenport, IA to Grand Rapids, MI | $545 – $700 | 329 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Davenport, IA to Warren, MI | $634 – $818 | 444 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Davenport, IA to Sterling Heights, MI | $603 – $852 | 448 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Davenport, IA to Ann Arbor, MI | $574 – $809 | 394 miles | 1 – 4 days |
Cost to ship a car from Sioux City, IA to Michigan
| From Iowa to Michigan | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux City, IA to Detroit, MI | $833 – $1,143 | 779 miles | 2 – 7 days |
| Sioux City, IA to Grand Rapids, MI | $773 – $1,036 | 672 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Sioux City, IA to Warren, MI | $817 – $1,226 | 787 miles | 2 – 7 days |
| Sioux City, IA to Sterling Heights, MI | $777 – $1,226 | 792 miles | 2 – 7 days |
| Sioux City, IA to Ann Arbor, MI | $784 – $1,172 | 737 miles | 1 – 6 days |
Cost to ship a car from Iowa City, IA to Michigan
| From Iowa to Michigan | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa City, IA to Detroit, MI | $661 – $872 | 490 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Iowa City, IA to Grand Rapids, MI | $551 – $825 | 384 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Iowa City, IA to Warren, MI | $657 – $913 | 500 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Iowa City, IA to Sterling Heights, MI | $638 – $886 | 503 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Iowa City, IA to Ann Arbor, MI | $634 – $852 | 449 miles | 1 – 4 days |
Shipping an SUV or truck from Iowa to Michigan
Since vehicles like SUVs, trucks, and vans are larger and heavier, it’s a bit more expensive to ship them than a sedan. How much more?
If you’re shipping a larger vehicle from Iowa to Michigan you should expect to pay between $900 and $1,184.
Factors that affect car shipping costs from IA to MI
When transporting your vehicle from the Hawkeye State to the Wolverine State, these factors will influence your final price:
- Type of transport: Options like open, enclosed, or top-loaded transport cater to different needs. Open carriers are cost-effective, while enclosed transport provides added protection for luxury or classic cars. If you’re not sure, check out our guide comparing open vs. enclosed car shipping.
- Vehicle size and type: The dimensions and weight of your vehicle directly affect shipping costs. The larger and heavier your vehicle, the more it will cost to ship your car to Michigan.
- Distance and route: The journey from Iowa to Michigan spans approximately 580 miles, influencing fuel and labor costs. The longer the distance, the bigger the price tag.
- Time of the year: Seasonal demand impacts the price of getting your car out of Iowa, with summer and winter holidays often seeing a spike due to increased moving and travel activity.
- Fuel prices: Fluctuating fuel prices can significantly affect transport costs. This is an important consideration given the distance between Iowa and Michigan and the varying gas prices across the country.
- Delivery expectations: Because it’ll make their job easier, your auto shipper may give you a pricing discount if you’re flexible on delivery dates. That being said, getting your car from Iowa to Michigan should take between one and six days. Expedited services are available but come at a higher cost.
Michigan vehicle regulations you need to know
- Car insurance requirements: Michigan requires a minimum auto insurance coverage of $50,000/$100,000 for bodily injury and $10,000 for property damage in case of an accident.
- Vehicle inspection: Michigan does not require vehicle inspections for registration purposes. There is no state mandate for car safety inspections or emissions testing.
- Driver’s license: Michigan law requires new residents to promptly title and register their vehicles, with no grace period provided. A person is considered a resident if they live in the state and prove their legal presence in the US. To comply with these requirements, new residents should visit a Secretary of State office to obtain a Michigan driver's license, title, and registration as soon as they establish residency.
- Additional taxes: In Michigan, a 6% sales tax is imposed on all vehicle purchases.
Learn more with our car shipping checklist.
Transporting your vehicle from Iowa
More than 39 million people call Iowa home. Nicknamed the Hawkeye State, Iowa has a humid continental climate throughout the state. Snowfall is common in Iowa. Spring brings in severe weather season. Iowa has about 50 thunderstorm days per year and has a tornado season. Iowa is known for hot and humid summers. Be sure to check the weather before your move, especially during the springtime.
Transporting your vehicle to Michigan
About 22 million people are living in the Wolverine State. Michigan has a continental climate, although there are two distinct regions. The southern and central parts of the Lower Peninsula (south of Saginaw Bay and from the Grand Rapids area southward) have a warmer climate with hot summers and cold winters. The northern part of the Lower Peninsula and the entire Upper Peninsula has a more severe climate (Köppen Dfb), with warm, but shorter summers and longer, cold to very cold winters. Some parts of the state average high temperatures below freezing from December through February, and into early March in the far northern parts. During the winter through the middle of February, the state is frequently subjected to heavy lake-effect snow. The state averages 30 days of thunderstorm activity per year. These can be severe, especially in the southern part of the state. The state averages 17 tornadoes per year, which are more common in the state's extreme southern section.
FAQ
Does someone have to be present when you ship a car for pickup in Iowa and delivery in Michigan?
Most companies will require that an adult of at least 18 years of age be present when picking up your car in Iowa and when dropping it off in Michigan.
Do you need car insurance when shipping your car from Iowa to Michigan?
If you’re not driving the vehicle from Iowa to Michigan, you aren't required to have typical car insurance. Your car hauler should have adequate insurance if an accident happened on the drive to Michigan, which you should verify before loading your car in Iowa.
If you’re driving your car at all in either state, you should understand the requirements. Iowa requires minimum liability insurance, covering $20,000 for individual injury or death, $40,000 for multiple individuals, and $15,000 for property damage in an accident.
Michigan requires a minimum auto insurance coverage of $50,000/$100,000 for bodily injury and $10,000 for property damage in case of an accident.
How long does it take to ship a car from Iowa to Michigan?
Car shipping companies can travel about 500 miles per day. The trip from Iowa to Michigan is about 580 miles, and that’s as fast as about 2 days. However, most car transport companies will take one to six days to travel from Iowa to Michigan.
Will I be required to have a vehicle inspection in either state?
In Iowa, car owners are not obligated to undergo emissions, VIN, or safety inspections.
Michigan does not require vehicle inspections for registration purposes. There is no state mandate for car safety inspections or emissions testing.
If I have a driver’s license in Iowa, will I need one in Michigan?
Michigan law requires new residents to promptly title and register their vehicles, with no grace period provided. A person is considered a resident if they live in the state and prove their legal presence in the US. To comply with these requirements, new residents should visit a Secretary of State office to obtain a Michigan driver's license, title, and registration as soon as they establish residency.
If I bought a car in Iowa, will I be required to pay sales tax in Michigan after shipping it there?
It’s important to understand any tax implications if you’re having a car shipped from Iowa to Michigan after purchasing it.
In Michigan, a 6% sales tax is imposed on all vehicle purchases.
We recommend that you always check for updated tax information in both Iowa and Michigan to avoid any hidden costs.
What is the cheapest way to ship a car from Iowa to Michigan?
The cheapest way to ship a car from Iowa to Michigan is to ship it on a train or choose an open trailer transport method, avoid expedited shipping, and be flexible with your pickup dates.
How much does it cost to ship a car from Iowa to Michigan?
Shipping a car from Iowa to Michigan costs $720 to $947.
