Moving from Boise to Reno

Census counts put the flow from Ada, Canyon and Owyhee counties to Washoe County at about 70 people a year (2016-2020), while about 257 a year went the other direction. Statewide, about 2,150 people moved from Idaho to Nevada in 2024. For a Boise household the route is short enough to look like a single long day on the map, and that is the first thing to unpack.

The drive: ID 55, I-84, US 95 and I-80

The route is built from four roads. Short runs of ID 55 (about 17 miles) and I-84 (about 15 miles) take the truck out of the Boise valley, then US 95 carries it about 217 miles south across the Owyhee high desert and into northern Nevada. At Winnemucca the route joins I-80, and the last 162 miles run west through Lovelock and Fernley to Sparks. The total is about 418 miles, and the route block above prints the exact figures from the routing data.

US 95 is mostly a two-lane highway with long gaps between fuel stops and few places to pull a large truck out of bad weather. That is the real difference from a freeway move. A driver plans fuel and rest around Winnemucca, where US 95 meets I-80 and services are plentiful.

At 500 miles a day this is one day behind the wheel, and the free-flow time of 7 h 36 min gives a feel for the wheel time. It is not a delivery date. A loaded truck has loading time at the origin, weight stops and a scheduled arrival in Sparks, and your written estimate sets the delivery window.

The route also skips the Sierra altogether. A Boise to Reno move comes in from the northeast on I-80, so the chain controls and summit closures that shape moves from Sacramento or the Bay Area are not part of this drive. The remaining weather risk is ice and snow on the high desert stretches of US 95 and I-80 between November and March. Check Idaho 511 for the start of the trip and the Nevada 511 site for the Nevada miles.

Boise and Reno side by side

Boise averages about 17.6 inches of snow in a normal year, against about 20.9 inches at the Reno airport. The January average high is 38.8 F in Boise and 47.7 F in Reno, and July highs are 92.7 F and 93.9 F. Reno nights are cooler, and the table above shows both ends.

The table uses Census figures for the Boise City metro area: median gross rent of $1,487 and a median home value of $468,900, with 27.5 percent of households renting. Reno-Sparks has a median gross rent of $1,592 and a median home value of $502,300, and about 38 percent of households rent. Idaho taxes wages and Nevada does not, which is one reason this route gets a second look from Idaho families.

How the move works with O'Brien's

You book the move with O'Brien's, the Bekins Van Lines agent in Sparks, and we coordinate it from your Boise home through the Bekins network. When the shipment reaches Northern Nevada, we handle delivery, unpacking and, if your new place is not ready, storage in our 30,000 square foot Sparks warehouse (vault storage from $40 per month). Call 775-359-6683 for a phone ballpark, or send an online request. Long-distance moves are priced by weight, and the estimate is itemized and in writing.

Because the route is short, many Boise households choose a two-step plan: the shipment comes straight to Sparks, and the household settles in over a few weeks while a house is found. Storage covers the gap. Our delivery spread guide explains why the window in a long-distance estimate is a range.

After you arrive

New Nevada residents have a set window to switch a driver's license and register vehicles, and Washoe County has its own emissions rule. Our guide for people moving from Idaho and the moving to Reno overview cover the first weeks, from utilities to schools.