Moving from San Francisco to Reno

The trip starts at sea level on the Peninsula and ends about 4,500 feet up in the Truckee Meadows, so the elevation change is the first thing to plan around. The route runs 186 miles on I-80, with about 18 miles of CA 37 on the Bay side, and it has no ferry leg.

The 248 miles: I-80 from the Bay to the Truckee Meadows

The road distance from the Peninsula to the O'Brien's yard in Sparks is about 248 miles, against about 215 miles as the crow flies. Most of the gap is the Bay itself: a truck has to work its way around the water before it can settle onto I-80 through Vallejo, Fairfield, Sacramento and Auburn. About 186 of the 248 miles are on I-80, and the short CA 37 stretch is the only other named road in the route.

A passenger car covers the trip in a little over five hours without stops. A loaded household truck is slower on the grade and follows commercial speed limits, so treat the driving time as a floor and take your delivery window from the written estimate.

Donner Summit and the winter rules

The only pass on the route is Donner Summit on I-80, at about 7,200 feet according to USGS. The Sierra crossing is used all winter, but Caltrans can require chains or hold traffic during storms, and a truck waiting at Colfax or Truckee for a chain control to lift is a normal part of a December move.

Before any winter pickup or delivery day, look at Caltrans QuickMap for the California side and the NDOT site for Nevada. Our guide to moving in winter in the Sierra explains how a crew plans around a forecast.

San Francisco and Reno side by side

San Francisco city has about 830,000 residents. The Census Bureau's American Community Survey puts its median household income near $140,970, its median gross rent near $2,476 a month, and its median home value above $1.39 million. For Reno city, the same survey shows a median household income of $80,760, a median gross rent of $1,556 and a median home value of $548,300.

The weather changes more than people expect. San Francisco's January high is about 58 degrees and its July high only about 66, with almost no frost. Reno's January high is about 48 with lows near 26, and July highs reach about 94. Reno receives around 7 inches of precipitation a year and 21 inches of snow, so coats, a snow shovel and a garage for the car belong on the first-week list.

How the move works with O'Brien's

You book the move with O'Brien's, the Bekins agent in Sparks, and we coordinate it from your Peninsula or Marin home through the Bekins Van Lines network. At the Reno end O'Brien's takes over the delivery, unpacking and, if you need it, storage in our 30,000 square foot Sparks warehouse.

Long-distance moves are priced by weight, from an itemized written estimate, and your written estimate sets the delivery window. Start with the free in-home estimate, which comes with 10 free heavy-duty boxes.

Planning notes for Bay Area homes

Many Peninsula and Marin buildings have narrow streets, steep driveways, or elevators that must be reserved in advance. Tell the estimator about parking limits, stairs and building rules early, because the coordination from your origin depends on them.

A lot of households move in two steps: furniture goes into vault storage in Sparks, from $40 per month, while the family finds a house. Read moving to Reno from California for the DMV and tax steps after you arrive.