The Best Moving Companies in Washington, DC

Whether you’re moving across town or cross country, we’ve found the best moving companies for you. We analyzed the services, customer reviews, and costs for more than 20 movers in Washington, DC. These are our top picks.
Best long distance mover
internationalvanlines
International Van Lines
Our Rating
4.9 out of 5 stars
4.9
pro Full-service moves
pro Movers load and drive truck
Best for local moving
First National Van Lines
First National Van Lines
Our Rating
4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4
pro Professional moving services
pro Large US network
Best for container moving
pods
PODS
Our Rating
4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6
pro Container moves
con Customer loads container
Best for truck rental
penske
Penske
Our Rating
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5
pro DIY truck-rental moves
con Customer loads and drives truck

What type of moving company is right for you?

Professional movers
They handle it all.

Professional movers load your stuff, ship it to your new home, and unload it all for you. It’s the easiest—but most expensive—option. Learn more.

Containers
You load, they ship.

You load up all your belongings, but the movers transport your container to your new home. It’s the middle road for effort and cost. Learn more.

Moving truck rentals
You do all the work.

Worried about costs? Rent a truck, load it yourself, drive it to your new home, and unload all your things. You do it all—and save a lot. Learn more.


The best long-distance movers in Washington, DC

Move.org researched over a dozen nationwide moving companies. These professional moving companies are our top picks. If you’re moving to a new home outside of Washington, DC, we recommend these movers.
Best long-distance moving company
internationalvanlines
International Van Lines
4.9 out of 5 stars
4.9
  • bullet
    Transparent pricing
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    30 days free storage
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    10% Move.org discount
Best for accurate pricing
safeway
Safeway Moving
4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6
  • bullet
    Price matching
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    Charitable donations
Best premium services
americanvanlines
American Van Lines
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5
  • bullet
    Flat rates
  • bullet
    Piano moving
Best for customizable services
northamerican
North American Van Lines
4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8
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    A la carte services
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    GPS tracking
Best customer reviews
Mayzlin Relocation
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5
  • bullet
    Offers several discounts
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    Price-match guarantee

Local professional movers in Washington, DC

If you’re moving to a new home in Washington, DC, check out these highly ranked local moving companies.
Moving company
Customer rating
Services
Phone
Learn More
4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4
- Full service (local)
- In-state moves
- Interstate moves
- Packing services
- Office moving
888-248-1453
4.9 out of 5 stars
4.9
-Packing services
-Loading and unloading help
-Local moves
202-483-9109
4.9 out of 5 stars
4.9
-Packing services
-Office relocation
-Local moves
202-570-4697
4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8
-Packing services
-Office relocation
-In-state moves
-Interstate moves
301-257-0111
4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7
-Packing services
-Office relocation
-Local moves
-Interstate moves
800-267-4548
4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7
-Packing services
-Junk removal
-Local moves
-Interstate moves
202-557-4000

Best moving container companies in Washington, DC

Move.org analyzed approximately 8,000 customer reviews and 300 quotes over 3 years to find the best moving container companies in the US.
Moving company
Move.org rating
Avg. cost for local move
Avg. cost for long-distance move
Phone
Learn more
4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6
$1,370$4,300866-229-4120
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5
$1,940$4,240800-722-5728
4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1
$1,500$3,880888-947-7974
4 out of 5 stars
4
$1,870$5,030844-362-5303
3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9
$1,730$4,100800-468-4285

Best truck rental companies in Washington, DC

Move.org researched services, gathered over 100 quotes, and interviewed customers to find the 5 best moving truck rental companies in the country.
Moving company
Move.org rating
Avg. cost for local move
Avg. cost for long-distance move
Phone
Learn more
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5
$328$1,944844-847-9577
4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2
$28$2,080800-462-8343
4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2
$39$1,946800-468-4285
3.1 out of 5 stars
3.1
$130N/A888-736-8387
3.1 out of 5 stars
3.1
$324$2,337N/A
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Not sure what kind of moving company you need?

Learn more about your moving options. Check out our list of moving truck deals and discounts from across the industry.

What to know about moving in Washington, DC

In November of 2020, Glassdoor reported that Washington, DC’s number of open jobs had shrunk by 13.7% year over year.1 The shrinkage in many industries was much larger than this city-wide average though. Some industries saw declines in job availability as high as 70%. In fact, almost no industry saw an increase in open positions in DC.

One notable exception was the health care and hospitals industry which had 17.6% more open jobs in 2020 than in 2019. This trend likely had something to do with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the decline of open positions in Washington, DC, the city’s median base pay actually went up to around $65,000 the same year.1 So while it may be harder to find a job in DC than it was in 2019, many of the jobs you can find will pay more than they used to.

With a monthly total of $2,217 for costs like rent, food, and utilities,2 the average Washington, DC resident pays more for living costs than most other Americans do.

In fact, the nation’s capital takes 11th place on our list of cities with the highest living costs. It even outranks notoriously expensive metros like New York City and Los Angeles.

If you’re moving around the DC area and you have some lightly used—or heavily used but still useful—household items to get rid of, consider taking them to one of these donation centers instead of throwing them away:

Keep in mind that not all charities and donation centers can accept everything you give. For example, some charities accept furniture but not appliances, while others can't accept clothing. Before loading your car to deliver your donation, check the donation center’s website to ensure it can take it.

If you’d rather donate to a charity that will come to you and pick up your stuff, check out our list of charities that pick up donations.

Yes, Washington, DC has both a bus system and rail system that services over 600,000 commuters every day.3 In fact, DC has the best public transit in the US, according to the Washington Post.4

This is fortunate because DC’s traffic is almost as bad as its transit system is good. The average Washington, DC driver spends roughly 102 hours in traffic annually, making it the third-worst traffic city in the country.5

If you live in DC or you plan to move there soon, consider taking public transit to save time you’d otherwise lose to congestion. You could even try biking to work. We’ve found that Washington, DC is one of the best cities for cyclists.

Best local movers in Washington, DC

Sources

  1. Glassdoor, “Washington D.C.,” November 2020. Accessed January 31, 2022.
  2. Joe Roberts, “US Cities with the Lowest Cost of Living,” September 30, 2021. Accessed January 31, 2022.
  3. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, “Metrorail.” Accessed January 31, 2022.
  4. Fredrick Kunkle, “D.C.’s Metro is the No. 1 transit system in the nation. Yes, you read that right,” February 24, 2016. Accessed January 31, 2022.
  5. Dana Hedgpeth, “‘It’s a waste of time’: Washington is No. 3 in traffic congestion, study says,” August 22, 2019. Accessed January 31, 2022.
Joe Roberts
Written by
Joe Roberts
Joe Roberts is a professional writer with a degree in writing studies and over four years of copywriting experience. He previously worked at Overstock.com, where he wrote about furniture, home decor, and moving. Joe has moved all over Utah, so he knows his way around a moving truck—and he spends his time (and money) expanding his personal library so it will be even heavier next time he moves.