Open, enclosed, and expedited auto transport from Key West and the Lower Keys, quoted the way the one road demands.
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Key West, Florida
Car shipping in Key West starts with a fact of geography. There is one road, and it is a hundred and thirteen miles long.
Ship Guy is a licensed auto transport broker headquartered in South Florida. We book vetted carriers for the Keys, and we do not own the trucks.
Every carrier that reaches the island has driven the Overseas Highway from the mainland over forty-two bridges. It has to drive back. That shapes the price and the timing.
This page covers the road, the honest windows, the evacuation plan, and the naval air station. It also covers the Old Town streets a trailer cannot use and the week Duval Street closes.
Most pickups happen within 2 to 5 days. A Keys run is a dedicated detour for any carrier.
Miami and Fort Lauderdale are one-day lanes once the car reaches the mainland. Orlando and Tampa take about two days. New York runs four.
Flexible dates matter more here than anywhere else in Florida. We match you with the next carrier already making the Keys run.
The Road
US 1 leaves the mainland at Florida City and does not end until Key West. A carrier feels every mile.
The road crosses forty-two bridges, including the Seven Mile Bridge, on two lanes for most of its length. A loaded trailer takes more than three hours each way.
No carrier passes through Key West on the way to somewhere else. A trip down the Keys is a dedicated run. Drivers combine pickups in Key West, Marathon, and Islamorada.
That is why windows run two to five days and why the price carries a Keys premium. A flexible date range lets us fit your car onto the next run.
Once the car reaches the mainland, it joins the regular network and moves like any other Florida shipment.
Lanes & Costs
Every lane begins with the drive up the Keys. Estimated open-transport ranges below; price your exact route above.
| Route | Corridor · distance | Est. transit | Est. open rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami, FL | US-1 · ~160 mi | 1 day | $220–$340 |
| Fort Lauderdale, FL | US-1/I-95 · ~190 mi | 1 day | $240–$360 |
| Naples, FL | US-1/I-75 · ~250 mi | 1–2 days | $270–$400 |
| Orlando, FL | US-1/FL Tpke · ~390 mi | 2 days | $360–$520 |
| Tampa, FL | US-1/I-75 · ~430 mi | 2 days | $380–$550 |
| Jacksonville, FL | US-1/I-95 · ~500 mi | 2 days | $430–$620 |
| Atlanta, GA | I-75 · ~820 mi | 3 days | $580–$850 |
| Charlotte, NC | I-95/I-26 · ~900 mi | 3 days | $640–$900 |
| New York, NY | I-95 · ~1,450 mi | 4 days | $900–$1,250 |
| Chicago, IL | I-75/I-65 · ~1,550 mi | 4–5 days | $950–$1,300 |
*2026 estimates, running sedan, open trailer. Larger vehicles add 10 to 25 percent, and enclosed adds more. Every Keys trip is a dedicated run down the Overseas Highway. Your dates plus carrier availability set the real quote.
Miami and Fort Lauderdale are the natural first stops. Many Key West cars transfer to the national network there.
The Keys premium is the same whether the car is headed to Tampa or Chicago. The cost guide spells out the other variables.
Storm Season
The Keys evacuate before anyone else in Florida, and the plan runs in phases.
Visitors and boats leave first, then the Lower Keys, then the rest. With one road out, the county starts early and carriers leave with the first phase.
If you want a car off the island before a storm, call the moment the track firms up. Once evacuation begins, no carrier comes down the highway.
After a storm passes, the road reopens in stages from the mainland down. Demand jumps as residents return and replace flooded cars, and windows stretch for a week or two.
We keep you updated through it and never send a driver into an evacuation zone.
Military
The naval air station on Boca Chica moves families in and out of the Keys all year.
Sailors and aircrews arrive with a summer peak, and many ship a second vehicle privately. Base housing is gated, so the handoff happens on Stock Island or along the highway.
The Coast Guard sector in Key West adds rotations of its own. Ship Guy is a private broker, with no military ties of any kind.
Our military page covers PCS planning, and the Keys premium applies to those moves like any other.
Old Town
Old Town Key West was laid out for bicycles and scooters. A car carrier stays out of it.
The streets around Duval, Whitehead, and the historic district are narrow, one-way, and lined with conch houses. Trucks are restricted, and a trailer could not turn anyway.
For Old Town, the driver meets you on North Roosevelt Boulevard, near the airport, or on Stock Island. It is a few minutes from anywhere on the island.
New Town and the neighborhoods along Flagler and Roosevelt are wider. There, the truck can sometimes reach the curb.
Fantasy Fest closes Duval for ten days each October. We schedule around it for downtown addresses.
Who Ships Here
Beyond the base, Key West moves follow the season and the salt.
Seasonal residents arrive from the Northeast from December through April. Many ship a car down for the winter rather than drive the length of Interstate 95.
Hotels and restaurants relocate managers year round, and those moves follow start dates.
Salt air is everywhere on the island, and it shows on a car within a season. Enclosed transport is the usual choice for anything you care about.
Your Options
Open transport works for a daily driver. It is also the easier one to match on a Keys run.
Enclosed transport keeps a car covered against salt spray on the bridges, sun, and storms. On an island where salt reaches everything, many owners choose it.
Enclosed carriers make the Keys run less often, so flexible dates matter even more. Our open and enclosed pages weigh the two.
The Basics
The process is a price, a handoff on the island, and a delivery at the far end.
After you approve the price, we match a carrier making the Keys run. The driver notes the car’s condition on a Bill of Lading, and you sign before loading. That note is your reference at delivery.
Our how it works and preparation guides cover each step.
Why Ship Guy
We are based in South Florida, and we quote the Keys the way the road demands.
Ship Guy holds active FMCSA brokerage authority and a $75,000 surety bond. We are headquartered in South Florida.
One coordinator handles the shipment from the island to the mainland and beyond. Open, enclosed, and expedited transport are all handled by that person. The services page lists everything.
Nearby
Carriers that work Key West also cover these nearby cities.
Statewide guide: Florida auto transport · See all 66 cities we serve →
Visit Us
Our office is on Whitehead Street in Old Town. It is a few blocks from the courthouse and the end of US 1.
Key West FAQ
Because no carrier passes through Key West on the way to somewhere else. A trip down the Keys is a dedicated three-hour run each way over forty-two bridges. Drivers combine pickups in Key West, Marathon, and Islamorada to make it worthwhile. A flexible date range puts your car on the next run. Rigid dates narrow the pool considerably.
The Keys premium covers the dedicated run down and back up the Overseas Highway. A loaded trailer takes more than three hours each way on two lanes. That cost applies whether the car is headed to Tampa or Chicago. Once the car reaches the mainland, it moves at normal network rates.
The county evacuates in phases, starting with visitors and boats, and carriers leave with the first phase. If you want a car off the island before a storm, call the moment the track firms up. Once evacuation begins, no carrier comes down the highway. After the storm, the road reopens in stages and demand jumps for a week or two.
Yes, second-vehicle shipments are common for Boca Chica families. Orders often pay for one car, and the other travels privately. Base housing is gated, so the handoff happens on Stock Island or along the highway. We line the pickup up with your report date. Ship Guy is not connected to the military.
No, the streets around Duval and the historic district are narrow, one-way, and restricted for trucks. The driver meets you on North Roosevelt Boulevard, near the airport, or on Stock Island. It is a few minutes from anywhere on the island. New Town addresses can sometimes get curbside.
Downtown, yes. Duval Street closes for ten days each October and the surrounding blocks fill. We schedule Old Town pickups before or after the festival. Stock Island and New Town run normally through it.
Usually nine hundred to twelve hundred fifty dollars for a sedan. The trip runs up the Keys to Miami and then about thirteen hundred miles on Interstate 95. The Keys premium is included. Season matters, and a northbound car in April costs more than in February. Larger vehicles add 10 to 25 percent on top of that.
Yes, carriers combine stops the length of the Overseas Highway. Marathon and Big Pine Key are on most Key West runs. Islamorada and Key Largo sit closer to the mainland and often ship faster. Flexible dates help everywhere in the Keys.
Yes, we arrange transport for cars that will not run, even from the island. The carrier brings a winch, and the extra time adds a fee. Note if it rolls, steers, and brakes. On a one-road run, that also affects which truck we send.
Give us the Key West address and the mainland destination. Then the year, make, and model of the vehicle. Whether it runs and rolls. Open or enclosed, and the widest date range you can. That is a complete Key West quote request. Flexibility matters more here than anywhere in Florida.
Get Started
A quote takes about two minutes, even from the island. Then give us the widest date range you can. We will match you with the next carrier making the Keys run.