($463+) Cincinnati, OH to Des Moines, IA Movers

Full-service moving costs from Cincinnati, OH to Des Moines, IA

For the 585-mile move from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Des Moines, Iowa, full-service movers cost between $1,498 and $8,679. A long-distance moving company takes care of loading, hauling, and unloading. For an added cost of $263 - $1,752 (1 - 5+ bedrooms), crews will pack your boxes. The weight of your shipment and the mileage between the two cities are what drive your final cost. For scale, local movers in Cincinnati generally start around $250 plus $120 per hour, per mover.

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,498 - $4,400
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $2,354 - $5,705
• 4+ bedrooms: $4,286 - $8,679

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 Cincinnati to Des Moines.

Specialty moving services from Cincinnati, OH to Des Moines, IA

Specialty needs vary by market — 79% of Cincinnati 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 Cincinnati to Des Moines?

Look for Iowa Motor Truck Association membership as a baseline when comparing movers in Iowa beyond this list.

1. Safeway Moving (4.9/5 stars): Safeway Moving is our pick for best overall value. Flat-rate pricing, 24/7 support, and 30 days of free storage make Safeway the clearest value on this list.
2. American Van Lines (4.9/5 stars): American Van Lines is the most experienced mover on this list. AVL has been moving customers since 1995 and uses full-time in-house crews trained on high-value items like art and antiques.
3. Allied Van Lines (4.2/5 stars): Allied Van Lines is best for contents coverage. One of the largest van line networks in North America, Allied offers fragile-only packing, 24/7 monitoring, and an optional full-value protection plan against damage, loss, and breakage.

Moving container costs from Cincinnati, OH to Des Moines, IA

Moving containers from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Des Moines, Iowa, cost between $1,068 and $3,138. You load everything on your own schedule (U-Haul gives you 3 days and PODS gives you 30). When you're ready, the company takes care of getting the container from point A to point B. Need more time than that? Extra storage in Cincinnati typically runs around $80/month.

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $1,068 - $1,943
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,304 - $2,533
• 4+ bedrooms: $1,775 - $3,138

What other costs come with moving containers?

• Access: Most major container brands operate in both Cincinnati, OH and Des Moines, IA. Still, double-check that a nearby facility is available if you need to access your belongings before delivery.
• Moving labor: Because containers are self-loaded, many customers hire hourly help. Two movers for about 5 hours typically cost around $613 in Cincinnati, OH, according to moveBuddha data. Compare the best labor-only movers nationwide
• Storage: Monthly container rental after the first 30 days averages $66 for small units (7 - 8 feet) and about $131 for larger ones (12 - 16 feet).
• Added contents protection: For more coverage beyond the standard minimum, full-value protection is the typical upgrade, generally 1% - 2% of your declared shipment value. On a $50,000 household, that's roughly $500 - $1,000 as a one-time fee.

What are the best moving containers Cincinnati 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 Cincinnati, OH to Des Moines, IA

A rental truck for this 585-mile move from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Des Moines, Iowa, costs between $449 and $1,212. The base rate covers the vehicle only; budget for:

• Fuel for the drive: $163 - $186
• Daily insurance: $26/day
• Equipment rentals: $6 - $18
• Cincinnati daily rental rate: $19 - $39
• Per-mile fee beyond your free allowance: $0.69 - $0.79

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $449 - $837
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $520 - $1,015
• 4+ bedrooms: $668 - $1,212

What other costs come with rental trucks?

• Additional insurance: Supplemental coverage typically averages around $30 per day.
• Lodging: Budget around $131 per night if your drive requires an overnight stop. Typically, you'll make 1 - 3 overnight stops, depending on move distance.
• Moving labor: Bringing in professional loading help in Cincinnati, Ohio, usually costs about $613 for 2 movers and 5 hours of labor.
• Gas: Fuel for the 585-mile drive falls between $163 and $186, depending on whether your truck runs on gas or diesel.
• Equipment: Appliance dollies, moving pads, and vehicle trailers are easy to overlook but can add between $44 and $263 to your total.

What are the best moving truck rentals from Cincinnati 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 Cincinnati, OH to Des Moines, IA

Freight trailers are a good fit for medium-to-large moves where you need more space than a container but don't want to drive a rental truck from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Des Moines, Iowa. The trailer is delivered to your address, you load it, and the carrier takes it the rest of the way.

Unlike truck rentals with flat rates, freight trailers scale with your shipment. Every additional section of trailer space you fill increases your total. Most long-distance moves using this method run roughly between $1,064 and $2,088.

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $953 - $1,582
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,064 - $2,088
• 4+ bedrooms: $1,462 - $2,748

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 $66 and $131.
• 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 Cincinnati, Ohio, for roughly five hours typically average $613.

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

1. MovingYourself (5/5 stars): MovingYourself is our pick for best for large moves. The company is best known as a top moving container option for its hybrid model where you load and they drive, and that same model translates well to freight thanks to their 53-foot trucks and pay-by-the-foot pricing.
2. U-Pack (5/5 stars): U-Pack offers the best value freight trailer on this route. Beyond their flagship container service, U-Pack also runs freight trailers with the same no-deposit, no-upfront-fee model, charging only for the linear footage you actually fill.
3. ACE Doran Hauling & Rigging Co (4.88/5 stars): ACE Doran Hauling & Rigging Co is our pick for best locally owned freight company. Their locally owned and operated facilities mean you work with support staff who know the route and the area, giving you more responsive scheduling than national-only carriers typically offer.

Cost of living: Cincinnati, OH vs Des Moines, IA

Good news for your budget: Des Moines isn't meaningfully more or less expensive to live in than Cincinnati. Cost of living index runs 87 there against 88 here, and rent, income, and tax rates all fall in a comparable band. Focus your planning on the move itself rather than a change in monthly expenses. Walkability and safety scores land in a similar range too - 49/100 and 49.53/100 here versus 45/100 and 57.8/100 there.