($280+) Des Moines, IA to St. Paul, MN Movers

Full-service moving costs from Des Moines, IA to St. Paul, MN

Full-service movers for the 248-mile relocation from Des Moines, Iowa, to St. Paul, Minnesota, cost between $945 and $5,795. 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 $279 - $1,860, 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 Des Moines typically charge a base rate around $737 plus $142 per hour, per mover.

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $945 - $3,605
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,538 - $4,779
• 4+ bedrooms: $2,120 - $5,795

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 Des Moines to St. Paul.

Specialty moving services from Des Moines, IA to St. Paul, MN

Specialty needs vary by market — 58% of Des Moines movers offer storage-in-transit, compared to 85% nationally. In St. Paul, 91% of movers offer the same service.

What are the best full-service movers from Des Moines to St. Paul?

Look for Minnesota Transport Services Association membership as a baseline when comparing movers in Minnesota 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.

How much do local movers cost in Des Moines, IA?

Based on recent quotes for this route, a 2-bedroom move from Des Moines to St. Paul with a local mover averages $1,462 - $4,541. Shorter moves don't always call for a national van line, and local moving companies in Des Moines, IA often offer competitive pricing on nearby routes. Smaller crews and regional focus translate to lower overhead and more scheduling flexibility.

Just make sure they're properly licensed for interstate moves and equipped to handle the full distance.

Moving container costs from Des Moines, IA to St. Paul, MN

Moving containers from Des Moines, Iowa, to St. Paul, Minnesota, cost between $843 and $2,535. You're in charge of loading, and the timeline is yours to set. U-Haul allows 3 days while PODS gives you a full 30. After that, the company picks it up and delivers it to your new address. Running behind schedule? Storage in Des Moines costs roughly $60/month if you need it.

Take a look at moving container pricing by home size from Des Moines to St. Paul:

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $843 - $1,496
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $1,144 - $1,991
• 4+ bedrooms: $1,432 - $2,535

What other costs come with moving containers?

• Moving labor: Because loading is on you with a container move, hourly labor help is a popular add-on. In Des Moines, IA, two movers for roughly five hours costs around $651, according to moveBuddha data. Compare the best labor-only movers nationwide
• Storage: After the first month, ongoing rental fees kick in. A small container (7 - 8 feet) averages about $70 per month, while a 12- to 16-foot unit runs around $140 per month.
• Access: Most major container companies serve both Des Moines, IA, and St. Paul, MN, but confirm a facility is within reasonable distance if you need to retrieve items while in storage.
• Added contents protection: Full-value protection provides broader coverage than the standard liability in your contract. It typically costs 1% - 2% of your declared shipment value, about $500 - $1,000 on $50,000 worth of belongings.

What are the best moving containers Des Moines to St. Paul?

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 Des Moines, IA to St. Paul, MN

Truck rentals from Des Moines, Iowa, to St. Paul, Minnesota, range from $298 - $729 for the 248-mile drive. You handle the loading, driving, and unloading yourself, plus these extra costs:

• Fuel for the drive: $73 - $84
• Daily insurance: $28/day
• Equipment rentals: $7 - $19
• Des Moines daily rental rate: $19 - $39
• Per-mile fee beyond your free allowance: $0.69 - $1.19

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $298 - $497
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $323 - $589
• 4+ bedrooms: $386 - $729

What other costs come with rental trucks?

• Lodging: Overnight accommodations on longer drives average around $140 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 $60 and $302 to your total.
• Additional insurance: Daily protection upgrades typically add about $30.
• Gas: Plan on spending $73 - $84 in fuel for the 248-mile move, depending on your truck's fuel type.
• Moving labor: Hiring a crew instead of doing the loading yourself typically costs around $651 in Des Moines, Iowa, for a 2-person crew and 5 hours of labor.

What are the best moving truck rentals from Des Moines to St. Paul?

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 Des Moines, IA to St. Paul, MN

For larger DIY moves from Des Moines, Iowa, 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 St. Paul, Minnesota.

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 $888 and $1,608.

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

• Studio apartment / 1 bedroom: $821 - $1,305
• 2 - 3 bedrooms: $888 - $1,608
• 4+ bedrooms: $1,205 - $2,092

What other costs come with freight trailers?

• Seasonal demand: Pricing tends to rise during peak moving season, particularly between mid-May and mid-September.
• Moving labor: Most customers hire loading help since freight is self-loaded. Two movers in Des Moines, Iowa, for roughly 5 hours typically costs $651.
• More space: Freight companies bill by linear footage. If your belongings take up more room than anticipated, the extra space adds between $70 and $140 per foot.

What are the best freight companies from Des Moines to St. Paul?

1. MovingYourself (5/5 stars): MovingYourself is best for large moves. Primarily known as a top moving container option for its DIY hybrid model where customers load and the company drives, MovingYourself also functions as a strong freight option thanks to its 53-foot trucks and pay-only-for-the-space-you-use pricing.
2. U-Pack (5/5 stars): U-Pack is the best value freight trailer on this list. Best known for its container service, U-Pack also runs a top-notch freight trailer operation with the same no-deposit, pay-by-the-foot approach that keeps overall costs lower than most freight competitors.
3. Ruan Transportation Management Systems (4.5/5 stars): Ruan Transportation Management Systems is the best locally owned freight company on this list. Locally owned facilities and accessible live support staff make scheduling and route coordination easier on local-area routes than what most national freight providers can offer.

Cost of living: Des Moines, IA vs St. Paul, MN

The price of the move is only part of the picture. Here is how everyday costs compare once you are settled in St. Paul, side by side with Des Moines 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.