Texas
Car shipping in Houston, TX
Price ranges for shipping a car to and from Houston, TX, plus nearby terminals and common routes.
Key facts
- How vehicles move
- By truck; ports and islands may need a separate sea or rail service
- Population
- 2,397,315
- Metro
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
As of 1 July 2025. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, 1 July 2025
Local notes
- An auction area is associated with this city. Confirm the storage deadline and the release documents with the auction operator. Yard addresses are not listed here.
- A campus in this city can limit where a car-carrier truck stops. The driver often meets you off campus.
| Route | Open transport | Enclosed transport |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix, AZ | $695–$1,060 | $1,043–$1,590 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $801–$1,220 | $1,201–$1,830 |
| Riverside, CA | $785–$1,196 | $1,177–$1,794 |
| San Diego, CA | $779–$1,187 | $1,168–$1,780 |
| San Francisco, CA | $875–$1,334 | $1,313–$2,001 |
Registering an out-of-state car. Check the state agency sources there for current requirements and fees.
Routes
Compare shipping estimates for common journeys.
Nearby places
Check access guidance for terminals, campuses, and other pickup spots.
Companies based in Houston
Checked facts
What is the port, and what is the evacuation plan?
Port Houston says it owns and operates eight public facilities along the 52-mile Houston Ship Channel, including two container terminals and the area's largest breakbulk facility. That is freight through a terminal, not the same product as a door-to-door car carrier. TxDOT's Houston hurricane map dated May 23, 2025, says U.S. 59 will not be used as a Houston-area evacuation route if the Beaumont area is also evacuating. The I-45 contraflow brochure, if activated, reverses southbound I-45 north of Huntsville and ends the reversed lanes near Ennis. The Atlantic season runs June 1 through November 30.
Which yards and campuses are confirmed?
Insurance Auto Auctions lists branches named Houston and Houston-North in Houston. A branch named Houston South is in Rosharon, outside the city. See the Houston auction area. College Navigator lists the University of Houston at 47,980 students and Houston City College, at hccs.edu, at 53,253. The plan's college page still uses the Houston Community College name. Both figures are Fall 2024. This note does not state an out-of-state share.
When do you register?
Register within 30 days of moving to Texas. Active-duty military and non-resident full-time students are not required to register or title. Steps are on the Texas registration page. Confirm the holding address the morning of pickup, and tell the driver about gates, low wires, and any street the trailer cannot enter.
Sources
- Port Houston, about the port
- TxDOT, Houston hurricane preparation map, May 23, 2025
- TxDOT, I-45 hurricane contraflow brochure
- Insurance Auto Auctions, locations
- College Navigator, University of Houston
- College Navigator, Houston City College
- National Hurricane Center, Atlantic hurricane season dates
- Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, new to Texas
Sources
Call (800) 989-8833 Quotes by phone, 24/7