Driveaway: drive my car from Iowa to Texas
Last updated: June 2026
A Des Moines to Dallas driveaway is about 720 miles and one to two days, with a typical SelectDrive estimate of $1,100 to $1,500. Dan drives your car the whole way himself, with live GPS and photo inspection. No trailer, no broker, no handoffs. Houston, Austin, and San Antonio are farther, so those lanes run a little higher.
The Iowa to Texas route
From the Des Moines metro, an Iowa to Texas driveaway runs south on Interstate 35 through Kansas City and Oklahoma City straight into the Dallas-Fort Worth area, about 720 miles and one to two days. Houston is roughly 960 miles, Austin about 880, and San Antonio about 960, each a two-day drive with one overnight stop. It is a steady lane: Texas is a major destination for Iowans relocating for work, families moving south, and buyers who bought a vehicle in one state and need it in the other.
What this lane typically costs
The table below works a Des Moines to Dallas move at 720 miles. Your real number depends on the exact Texas city and your pickup address.
| Base rate (720 mi at $0.75) | $540 |
| Fuel | $130 |
| Tolls | $15 |
| Lodging | $120 |
| Insurance (8%) | $43 |
| Driver return travel | $200 |
Estimate only. Your real quote adds Dan's travel to your pickup and is calculated on your exact addresses. Houston, Austin, and San Antonio run higher because they are 900 to 960 miles. Estimate another route.
Why driveaway for this lane
On a one-to-two-day run to Texas, driveaway is often faster door to door than waiting for a broker to assign a trailer and batch your car with others. You fly down and your car is waiting, with the option to send a pet or packed belongings along, something a trailer carrier will not do. See moving your car with pets and belongings and the honest driveaway vs driving it yourself breakdown.
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