The Best Time of Year to Move Long Distance
The cheapest time for a long-distance move is usually mid-month, midweek, between October and April, avoiding the holidays. The most expensive is a summer weekend at the end of the month. According to industry figures, more than half of all household goods moves happen between May and September, and prices and availability follow that curve.
Why summer costs more
Families with children move between school years, leases cluster around summer, and home sales peak in late spring and summer. Carriers have a fixed number of trucks and experienced crews, so when demand rises they raise rates, tighten delivery windows and stop negotiating. In peak weeks, the cheapest carriers are often booked out first, leaving you choosing among higher quotes.
The calendar, month by month
| Period | Demand | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| January to March | Low | Best availability and prices. Weather risk in the North and on mountain passes. |
| April to mid May | Rising | Good shoulder season. Book a few weeks ahead. |
| Late May to August | Peak | Highest prices, widest delivery windows, book early. |
| September | High, easing | Busy early in the month, then improving. Boston’s September 1 is a local spike. |
| October and November | Moderate | Often good value, except busy southbound lanes to Florida and the Southwest. |
| December | Low, except holidays | Cheap mid-month, hard around Christmas and New Year. |
Within the month and the week
- Avoid the first and last few days of the month. Leases and closings cluster there.
- Choose a weekday. Friday and the weekend are the most requested pickup days.
- Give a flexible window. A carrier that can fit you in when a truck is passing through your area can price you lower than one that must send a truck on a fixed date.
When the national pattern does not apply
Some lanes have their own calendar. Southbound moves from the Midwest and Northeast to Florida build in autumn, ahead of winter, as our Illinois to Florida and Massachusetts to Florida pages explain. Deliveries into Florida also sit inside the June to November hurricane season. Mountain destinations, such as those covered on our Texas to Colorado page, carry winter road risk, and summer heat in Texas, Arizona and southern Nevada shortens crews’ working hours.
How far ahead to book
For a summer interstate move, start collecting estimates six to eight weeks ahead, and earlier for a month-end date. Outside peak season, four weeks is usually enough. Booking early does not lock the price unless you have a binding estimate, so focus on getting a proper survey and a written estimate, not just a reserved date. Our page on moving surveys explains why that matters.
What timing will not fix
Off-season dates lower the price of a legitimate mover. They do nothing to protect you from an illegitimate one. Rogue operators work all year. Whatever date you choose, run the company through the six verification checks and check your quote against the ranges on our long-distance moving cost page.
Sources: American Trucking Associations figures on seasonal share of household goods moves, as reported in 2022 regulatory coverage; NOAA Atlantic hurricane season dates; route data on this site. Last reviewed October 2026.