Portland, Oregon to Seattle, Washington
Moving from Portland to Seattle
It is 174 miles, about 3 hours of driving. 32,341 people made the Oregon to Washington move in 2024.
Anthony BaleMoving industry professional, author and writerReviewed 23 September 2026
Drive
174 mi
about 3 hours at the wheel
Moved last year
32,341
Oregon to Washington, 2024
Cost of living
+3.5%
Washington vs Oregon, US = 100
Sources: OSRM on OpenStreetMap data (driving route), read 1 Oct 2026; US Census Bureau, ACS state-to-state migration, 2024; BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
What it costs
Portland to Seattle moving cost
Planning ranges for 50 to 400 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 | $1,400 to $2,600 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,800 to $3,400 |
| 2 bedroom | $2,400 to $4,300 |
| 3 bedroom | $3,200 to $5,800 |
| 4+ bedroom | $4,200 to $7,600 |
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 $6.35 per gallon for the week of 2026-10-26 (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.
Recent reviews
People who moved Oregon to Washington
5 of 5 · 7 Jul 2025 · reported $2,100
“They even covered floors and doorways to avoid marks. The movers were focused and respectful of our time and space. They also helped us unpack and set up larger items. I can confidently recommend to anyone.”
1 of 5 · 26 Aug 2024 · reported $4,500
“I gave a precise list of items to be moved. They estimated 499 cubic feet. That isn't much. At the time of the move they jacked the price up 50%. Then would not return my phone calls. They purposely underestimated cubic feet so that they could charge more.”
1 of 5 · 24 Jan 2024 · reported $3,562
“Due to character limit, this review is unable to cover all issues. Do not use this/these companies at all if you want professional moving services. This is my third long distance move, with a third different company. The prior 2 moves went off without a hitch, with the minor exception of one being…”
Loading in Portland
Wet cardboard on a wood stair is how a cheap hourly quote dies.
Portland hills stop a long truck. West Hills streets and some inner-east streets will not take the box. A Division or Alberta street that cannot take a 26-foot box gets a shuttle. Ask whether the estimate includes that shuttle before you treat a low hourly figure as the whole job. Wet cardboard on a wood stair is how a cheap hourly quote dies.
Downtown buildings want a COI and a weekday window. The crew meets rain at the door: slip risk and ruined cartons. Have the certificate of insurance ready if the building asks, and book the weekday slot the property allows. Portland rain on a wood stair ruins cartons before the truck is loaded.
Interstate out toward Seattle is a real line-haul. Oregon does not replace FMCSA for that work. Ask for the USDOT before a deposit. A license lookup shows the number on the estimate. The crew still meets rain, a hill, or a building window at the door.
What is the drive like?
I-5 is the spine, and this is still interstate.
I-5 is the spine, and this is still interstate. The drive is 174 miles, about 3 hours at the wheel. The order for service sets same day or several days, a dedicated truck or a shared one, and the delivery spread. Oregon and Washington do not replace FMCSA. Treat it as a long-distance move, not a favor between neighbors.
Two clocks sit on this short hop. Wet cardboard on a Portland wood stair starts the first. A Seattle building with no loading zone starts the second. Portland hills stop a long truck before the box ever reaches I-5. That is the lane, rain at the door and a street that may need a shuttle.
Oregon price parity is 103.4 and Washington is 107.0. Those are BEA figures for 2024, with the US at 100. Access still sets the bill on this hop. A shuttle applies if either street cannot take the box. Ask the estimate to name the shuttle and the delivery spread the order for service sets.
Delivering in Seattle
A Queen Anne street that cannot take a 26-foot box gets a shuttle.
Hills in Queen Anne, Magnolia, and parts of West Seattle stop a long truck. A Queen Anne street that cannot take a 26-foot box gets a shuttle. Downtown apartment buildings want a COI and a weekday window. Have the certificate and the weekday window ready before the truck is at the door. Seattle rain is slip risk and ruined cartons on a wet stair.
No loading zone is the second clock. Wet cardboard on a wood stair is how a cheap hourly quote dies. Reviewer-reported median price on this state pair () is across priced reviews, and the middle half runs to . Check those figures against the cost page. A quote far under the median still has to name the shuttle and the stairs.
Moves to Bainbridge or the Peninsula add a ferry booking. I-5 timing decides whether a local hop stays local once you are in the city. Washington does not replace FMCSA for interstate work, so ask for the USDOT before a deposit. Have the ferry time, the building window, and the certificate with the order for service.
Leaving Portland, arriving in Seattle.
| Portland | Seattle | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living (US = 100) | 103.4 | 107.0 |
| Median home sale price | $570,000 | $847,195 |
| Median days on market | 19 | 13 |
| Months of housing supply | 2.9 | 2.7 |
| State income tax on wages | Taxes wages | No tax on 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 Oregon, the busiest month for home sales over the last year was Aug 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 (Oregon homes sold by month).
Doing it yourself
Driving a rental truck from Portland to Seattle
174 road miles, about 3 hours at the wheel (1 driving day 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 $62 to $93gasoline
- 1 or 2 bedroom15 to 16 ft truckFuel $62 to $124gasoline
- 3 bedroom20 to 22 ft truckFuel $75 to $84gas or diesel, by brand
- 4 bedroom26 ft truckFuel $84 to $137gas 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 19 Oct 2026); OSRM on OpenStreetMap data (road miles).
Ask out loud
Questions people ask
- How long is the drive from Portland to Seattle?
- The driving distance is 174 miles, about 3 hours at the wheel. I-5 is the spine. The order for service sets same day or several days, a dedicated truck or a shared one, and the delivery spread.
- Do Oregon and Washington replace FMCSA on this move?
- This is still interstate, and Oregon and Washington do not replace FMCSA. Ask for the USDOT before a deposit. In 2024, 32,341 people moved from Oregon to Washington, Census ACS margin plus or minus 4,186.
- What if the street cannot take a 26-foot box?
- Portland hills stop a long truck, and hills in Queen Anne, Magnolia, and parts of West Seattle do the same. A Division, Alberta, or Queen Anne street that cannot take a 26-foot box gets a shuttle. On a drive of 174 miles, ask whether the estimate includes that shuttle.
- What do reviewers report paying on this state pair?
- Reviewer-reported median price on this state pair () is across priced reviews. The middle half runs to . Wet cardboard on a wood stair, then a building with no loading zone, is how a cheap hourly quote dies.
- How does cost of living compare between Oregon and Washington?
- BEA price parity for 2024, with the US at 100, is 103.4 in Oregon and 107.0 in Washington. That is the index for the two ends of this lane. It sits beside the reviewer median of on .
Next
Keep going
- Moving to Portland: costsLocal ranges and access at the loading end.
- Moving to Seattle: costsLocal ranges and access at the delivery end.
- Movers in PortlandEvery mover there with dated reviews.
- Movers in SeattleEvery mover there with dated reviews.
- Moving in OregonWho regulates the move, and the top-rated movers there.
- Moving in WashingtonWho regulates the move, and the top-rated movers there.
- Local moversHourly crews, minimums, and travel time.
- What movers costWhat reviewers across the country reported paying.
- Truck fuel for 174 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.
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 Portland to Seattle quote
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