($707+) Arlington, VA to Des Moines, IA Movers

Full-service moving costs from Arlington, VA to Des Moines, IA

Full-service movers for the 1,018-mile relocation from Arlington, Virginia, to Des Moines, Iowa, cost between $2,121 and $7,669. With a long-distance moving company, loading, transportation, and unloading are all taken care of. If you want to skip packing boxes, too, that can be added for $400 - $2,664, depending on your home size. What you pay in the end is mainly a function of how much your shipment weighs and how far it's traveling. As a point of reference, local movers in Arlington typically charge a base rate around $200 plus $110 per hour, per mover.

Here's a breakdown of full-service moving costs by home size from Arlington to Des Moines:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $2,121 - $4,921
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $2,438 - $5,733
• 4+ bedrooms: $4,281 - $7,669

Packing, storage, shuttle fees, and added coverage can stack on top of the base price. See the full add-ons and specialty services table below for what each runs from Arlington to Des Moines.

Specialty moving services from Arlington, VA to Des Moines, IA

Specialty needs vary by market — 94% of Arlington movers offer storage-in-transit, compared to 85% nationally. In Des Moines, 58% of movers offer the same service.

What are the best full-service movers from Arlington to Des Moines?

Movers licensed to operate in Iowa are typically members of the Iowa Motor Truck Association, worth checking for before you book any of the three below.

1. Safeway Moving (4.9/5 stars): Safeway Moving is the best overall value on this list. Flat-rate pricing, 24/7 customer support, and 30 days of free storage are included with every move.
2. American Van Lines (4.9/5 stars): American Van Lines is the most experienced mover on this list, with 30+ years in business since 1995. AVL is one of the few national carriers that uses full-time in-house crews instead of contracted labor.
3. Allied Van Lines (4.2/5 stars): Allied Van Lines is best for contents coverage, combining fragile-only packing, 24/7 shipment monitoring, and an optional full-value protection plan that covers damage, loss, and breakage.

Moving container costs from Arlington, VA to Des Moines, IA

Moving containers from Arlington, Virginia, to Des Moines, Iowa, cost between $1,170 and $4,313. A container is delivered to your home and you load it on your own time. Loading windows vary by company: U-Haul gives you 3 days and PODS gives you 30. From there, the company takes over and transports it to Des Moines. If you go over that window, storage in Arlington adds around $100/month.

Take a look at moving container pricing by home size from Arlington to Des Moines:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,170 - $2,268
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,600 - $2,966
• 4+ bedrooms: $2,222 - $4,313

What other costs come with moving containers?

• Storage: Monthly rental charges begin after the first 30 days. Expect roughly $100 per month for smaller containers (7 - 8 feet) and around $200 per month for larger units (12 - 16 feet).
• Moving labor: Containers don't come with loading help, so many customers hire hourly movers for the job. Two movers for about 5 hours will run you around $932 in Arlington, VA, per moveBuddha data. Compare the best labor-only movers nationwide
• Added contents protection: Standard coverage only reimburses by weight. Full-value protection gives you more complete coverage for higher-value items and typically costs 1% - 2% of your total declared value, around $500 - $1,000 on a $50,000 shipment.
• Access: National providers generally operate in both cities, but verify that a facility near your Des Moines, IA, destination exists if you plan to access stored items.

What are the best moving containers Arlington to Des Moines?

1. Units Moving and Portable Storage (4.3/5 stars)
2. U-Pack (5.0/5 stars)
3. MovingYourself (5.0/5 stars)

Moving truck rental costs from Arlington, VA to Des Moines, IA

A rental truck is the cheapest way to cover the 1,018 miles from Arlington, Virginia, to Des Moines, Iowa, running $687 - $1,942. It's also the most hands-on option, and the base rate doesn't include:

• Fuel for the drive: $431 - $493
• Daily insurance: $40/day
• Equipment rentals: $9 - $27
• Arlington daily rental rate: $19 - $39
• Per-mile fee beyond your free allowance: $0.99 - $1.19

These are typical moving truck rental costs from Arlington to Des Moines based on home size:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $687 - $1,369
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $741 - $1,611
• 4+ bedrooms: $912 - $1,942

What other costs come with rental trucks?

• Lodging: Overnight accommodations on longer drives average around $200 per night. Most long-distance moves with rental trucks require 1 - 3 overnight stops.
• Equipment: Tow dollies, auto trailers, and specialty moving equipment can add between $87 and $433 to your total.
• Additional insurance: Daily protection upgrades typically add about $30.
• Gas: Plan on spending $431 - $493 in fuel for the 1,018-mile move, depending on your truck's fuel type.
• Moving labor: Hiring a crew instead of doing the loading yourself typically costs around $932 in Arlington, Virginia, for a 2-person crew and 5 hours of labor.

What are the best moving truck rentals from Arlington to Des Moines?

1. Budget Truck Rental (4.3/5 stars)
2. Penske Truck Rental (4.0/5 stars)
3. U-Haul Truck Rental (4.2/5 stars)

The best truck rental companies for this route, based on moveBuddha's ratings.

Freight trailer costs from Arlington, VA to Des Moines, IA

For larger DIY moves from Arlington, Virginia, freight trailers give you plenty of room without putting you behind the wheel. Standard trailers are 28 feet long. You load the section you need, and the carrier transports everything to Des Moines, Iowa.

Because freight companies bill by linear footage, your total is based on how much of the trailer you occupy, not the full length. For most medium-to-large moves on this route, pricing typically falls between $1,192 and $2,423.

Take a look at freight trailer costs based on home size for moves from Arlington to Des Moines:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,130 - $2,081
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,192 - $2,423
• 4+ bedrooms: $1,727 - $3,122

What other costs come with freight trailers?

• More space: Freight pricing is based on exactly how much of the trailer you fill. If your items take up more than expected, the added footage can increase your cost by between $100 and $200.
• Peak season impact: Moving during peak season (mid-May to mid-September) often means higher trailer rates as demand increases across the board.
• Moving labor: Unless you plan to load everything yourself, factor in labor costs. Two movers in Arlington, Virginia, for roughly five hours typically average $932.

What are the best freight companies from Arlington to Des Moines?

1. MovingYourself (5/5 stars): MovingYourself is the pick for best for large moves. The company is well-regarded as a top moving container option for its load-it-yourself, we-drive-it model, and that same model makes it a strong freight option for larger homes that benefit from the company's 53-foot trucks and footage-based pricing.
2. U-Pack (5/5 stars): U-Pack offers the best value freight trailer on this route. Alongside their flagship container service, U-Pack provides a top-notch freight trailer option that follows the same model: no deposits, no upfront fees, and pricing based on the linear footage you actually use.
3. Terminal Transportation Services (4.7/5 stars): Terminal Transportation Services is the best locally owned freight company on this list. Locally owned and based facilities mean accessible support staff and area-specific scheduling flexibility that national-only freight carriers typically don't match.

Cost of living: Arlington, VA vs Des Moines, IA

The price of the move is only part of the picture. Here is how everyday costs compare once you are settled in Des Moines, side by side with Arlington on housing, income, and taxes.

Cost of living index is relative to the U.S. average of 100. Figures reflect the latest available city and state data.