Los Angeles, California to Denver, Colorado
Moving from Los Angeles to Denver
Reviewers on this lane paid a median $3,500. It is 1,017 miles, about 18 hours of driving. 19,717 people made the California to Colorado move in 2024.
Anthony BaleMoving industry professional, author and writerReviewed 23 September 2026
Drive
1,017 mi
about 18 hours at the wheel
Reviewers paid
$3,500
median, 7 priced reviews, this lane
Moved last year
19,717
California to Colorado, 2024
Cost of living
-6.9%
Colorado vs California, US = 100
Sources: OSRM on OpenStreetMap data (driving route), read 1 Oct 2026; Haulest licensed review file (MoveAdvisor), 3 Nov 2026 (reviewer-reported); US Census Bureau, ACS state-to-state migration, 2024; BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
What it costs
Los Angeles to Denver moving cost
On this lane, reviewers reported a median of $3,500 across 7 priced reviews. The middle half paid $2,500 to $5,000. Those prices mix home sizes; the table below is by size.
Planning ranges for 1,000 to 2,000 miles moves, by home size, as of September 2026. Research fallback, not a first-party median and not a bid.
| Home size | Full-service range |
|---|---|
| Studio | $2,200 to $4,000 |
| 1 bedroom | $3,000 to $5,200 |
| 2 bedroom | $4,000 to $7,200 |
| 3 bedroom | $5,400 to $9,400 |
| 4+ bedroom | $7,000 to $12,000 |
Source: Haulest research bands, September 2026 (chosen by the driving distance above).
We do not print container or rental-truck prices for this lane: nobody publishes them with a source. Ask for them in writing if you are comparing.
Live numbers: US on-highway diesel $6.29 per gallon for the week of 2026-11-02 (EIA weekly US on-highway diesel via FRED GASDESW). A fuel surcharge on a long lane follows the diesel line; ask how the mover sets it.
From the review file
Movers with reviews on the California to Colorado run
How this list was made. Every mover here has at least two reviews in our file for a move from California to Colorado. Sorted by how many matching reviews each mover has, not by rating. Corpus as of 3 Nov 2026. Not a ranking and not a recommendation.
| Mover | Based | Record | Matching reviews | All reviews | Median reported, lane reviews | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beefcake Moving & Storage | Chatsworth, CA | CarrierUSDOT 1827326 | 5 | 384.0 mean, dated | $7,700 | 19 May 2023 |
| Trig Moving and Storage | Burbank, CA | No FMCSA matchUSDOT 3198661 | 3 | 272.0 mean, dated | $8,500 | 24 Oct 2021 |
| Valet Movers | San Diego, CA | No FMCSA matchUSDOT 1977033 | 3 | 183.0 mean, dated | $1,853 | 6 Jun 2016 |
| X Van Lines LLC | Dallas, TX | CarrierUSDOT 3391195 | 2 | 3125.0 mean, dated | $3,120 | 26 Oct 2026 |
| Cross Country Movers | Philadelphia, PA | Broker and carrierUSDOT 2780116 | 2 | 2685.0 mean, dated | $4,685 | 16 Oct 2026 |
| A One Van Lines | Brooklyn, NY | No FMCSA matchUSDOT 2276259 | 2 | 364.0 mean, dated | $12,900 | 1 Jan 2026 |
| Ship Your Car Now | Boca Raton, FL | No FMCSA matchUSDOT 2246825 | 2 | 293.0 mean, dated | $2,500 | 12 Aug 2024 |
| LD Moving and Storage | North Hollywood, CA | No FMCSA matchUSDOT 1880403 | 2 | 232.0 mean, dated | $5,473 | 20 May 2022 |
| Interstate Moving LLC | Wilmington, DE | No FMCSA matchUSDOT 3362921 | 2 | 172.0 mean, dated | $4,780 | 1 Dec 2020 |
| Conejo Valley Moving and Storage | Simi Valley, CA | Broker and carrierUSDOT 77949 | 2 | 31.0 mean, dated | $5,200 | 11 Sept 2023 |
Sources: Haulest licensed review file (MoveAdvisor), 3 Nov 2026; FMCSA Licensing and Insurance, household-goods authority (record column).
Recent reviews
People who moved California to Colorado
5 of 5 · 26 Oct 2026 · reported $3,120
“very conscientious and polite, and they had the muscle to make moving king-size mattresses seem easy. Moved out the old, brought in the new with no problem. Very nice young men that I'm happy to give the highest rating possible.”
5 of 5 · 16 Oct 2026 · reported $4,680
“I was extremely pleased with the professionalism of the three member team led by Felipe. They packed and moved our condo goods as though what they were packing and moving was their own goods. They used blankets and shrink wrap on the furniture. They were very careful about the furniture legs.”
5 of 5 · 2 Oct 2026 · reported $5,468
“They were all extremely professional, nice, and efficient. I essentially moved/stopped across 4 locations (one being a detached garage) and they were great. Everything was moved with care, including a lot of heavy books and a large safe. Price was very reasonable considering all of that.”
What went wrong on this run: of 103 reviews, 45% mention damage and 21% a delay or a no-show. Reviewer-reported, counted by phrase.
Loading in Los Angeles
Friday of a holiday weekend is how you donate hours to traffic.
Los Angeles is a collection of loading problems. A 2-bed in a valley apartment with a loading dock is a different job from a hillside house in Silver Lake or Mount Washington, where the truck stops two bends below and the crew carries. Street parking in many neighborhoods is the accessorial. Friday of a holiday weekend is how you donate hours to traffic.
HOAs in newer buildings want a COI and a weekday window. California household movers are licensed under the Household Movers Act (BHGS). Interstate work still needs FMCSA. Ask for the Cal-T or BHGS number and the USDOT. Do not hand over a large cash deposit to a crew that only has a van and a verbal number. See the deposit guide first.
A truck that cannot climb or turn on a Silver Lake street gets swapped for a shuttle. You pay for both clocks. The mover needs an active USDOT number and FMCSA authority for this interstate household-goods job. The loading problems are connected by I-10 and the 405.
What is the drive like?
The truck is priced by weight and miles, and the delivery sits inside a window written on the order for service.
The drive is 1,017 miles, about 18 hours at the wheel. That is not a same-day drop. The truck is priced by weight and miles, and the delivery sits inside a window written on the order for service. See how long-distance moves are booked for a drive of this length.
This is an interstate household-goods job. The mover needs an active USDOT number and FMCSA authority. Census ACS counted 19,717 people who moved from California to Colorado in 2024, margin plus or minus 3,479. BEA price parity that year was 110.7 for California and 103.1 for Colorado, US equal to 100.
Delivering in Denver
Thin air does not change the tariff.
Denver crews talk about altitude and ice before they talk about bedrooms. Thin air does not change the tariff. Black ice on a January stoop does. Many brick walk-ups between Colfax and 13th have no elevator and a narrow turn for a long sofa. Downtown loading zones fill by 8am.
High-rises along Speer and in LoDo want elevator pads and a COI. Ask whether the estimate includes a shuttle if the destination street cannot take the line-haul trailer. Colorado does not replace FMCSA for interstate work. Check the USDOT with the license lookup before a deposit leaves your account.
A 26-foot truck on a snow day in Capitol Hill, with no curb cut and a walk-up, is how a $1,600 job becomes overtime and a shuttle van. Reviewer-reported median price on this city pair (Los Angeles to Denver) is $3,500 across 7 priced reviews, middle half $2,500 to $5,000.
Leaving Los Angeles, arriving in Denver.
| Los Angeles | Denver | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living (US = 100) | 110.7 | 103.1 |
| Median home sale price | $940,000 | $610,000 |
| Median days on market | 42 | 21 |
| Months of housing supply | 3.9 | 2.9 |
| State income tax on wages | Taxes wages | Taxes wages |
Sources: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; Data provided by Redfin, a national real estate brokerage, read 1 Oct 2026; State revenue departments (wage tax, 2026).
When to go: in California, the busiest month for home sales over the last year was Oct 2025 and the quietest was Jan 2026. Movers fill up on the same calendar; a mid-month weekday outside May to August is the cheaper slot. Check your date.
Source: Data provided by Redfin, a national real estate brokerage (California homes sold by month).
Doing it yourself
Driving a rental truck from Los Angeles to Denver
1,017 road miles, about 18 hours at the wheel (2 driving days at nine hours a day). Fuel below uses this week's EIA price and the low end of each brand's mpg, because a loaded truck does worse than the brochure.
- Studio10 to 12 ft truckFuel $362 to $543gasoline
- 1 or 2 bedroom15 to 16 ft truckFuel $362 to $724gasoline
- 3 bedroom20 to 22 ft truckFuel $434 to $497gas or diesel, by brand
- 4 bedroom26 ft truckFuel $497 to $807gas or diesel, by brand
Fuel is only part of a DIY move: add the rental, mileage or days, coverage, equipment, tolls, and your time.
Sources: Brand spec pages (U-Haul, Penske, Budget) (mpg and fuel type); US EIA weekly retail prices (week of 26 Oct 2026); OSRM on OpenStreetMap data (road miles).
Ask out loud
Questions people ask
- How long is the drive from Los Angeles to Denver?
- The driving distance is 1,017 miles, about 18 hours at the wheel. That is not a same-day drop. Delivery sits inside the window written on the order for service.
- What license should I ask for before a deposit?
- Interstate household goods need an active USDOT number and FMCSA authority. California household movers are licensed under the Household Movers Act (BHGS), so ask for the Cal-T or BHGS number too. Colorado does not replace FMCSA on this lane.
- What is the median price on this lane?
- Reviewer-reported median price on this city pair (Los Angeles to Denver) is $3,500 across 7 priced reviews. The middle half is $2,500 to $5,000. Your price still follows weight and miles on the order for service.
- What if the truck cannot reach the Los Angeles door?
- A hillside house in Silver Lake or Mount Washington can leave the truck two bends below while the crew carries. A truck that cannot climb or turn is swapped for a shuttle, and you pay for both clocks. Street parking in many neighborhoods is the accessorial.
- What should I have ready in Denver?
- High-rises along Speer and in LoDo want elevator pads and a COI. Many brick walk-ups between Colfax and 13th have no elevator and a narrow turn for a long sofa. Ask whether the estimate includes a shuttle if the street cannot take the line-haul trailer.
Next
Keep going
- Moving to Los Angeles: costsLocal ranges and access at the loading end.
- Moving to Denver: costsLocal ranges and access at the delivery end.
- Movers in Los AngelesEvery mover there with dated reviews.
- Movers in DenverEvery mover there with dated reviews.
- Moving in CaliforniaWho regulates the move, and the top-rated movers there.
- Moving in ColoradoWho regulates the move, and the top-rated movers there.
- Long distance moversWeight, miles, and where the bill grows.
- What movers costWhat reviewers across the country reported paying.
- Truck fuel for 1,017 milesRoad miles and this week's EIA gas and diesel prices at each end.
- The 110% ruleWhat you can be made to pay on delivery day.
Other lanes from and to these cities
About Anthony Bale
A moving industry professional, author and writer. Anthony has been at different positions in the industry for the last 10 years, gaining significant knowledge on the relocation process. He himself has moved 6 times already, which helped him explore the other side of the moving process.
At Haulest he writes the US cost, hiring, and rights pages, reading the licensed review file every week so the numbers on the page are the numbers people reported.
Call for a written Los Angeles to Denver quote
From, then To. Date and home size after that. A person on the phone is faster if you already know the dates.
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Haulest is a research desk and quote line. We are not a carrier.