Moving from Minneapolis-St. Paul to Reno

Reno is 1,760 road miles from Minneapolis-St. Paul. The metro area has about 3.7 million residents, and the Census counts about 22 people a year moving to Washoe County from Hennepin County, Minnesota and Le Sueur County, Minnesota (2016 to 2020 estimates), but the margin of error is as large as the estimate, so the safest reading is that households travel in both directions.

The drive: 1,760 miles from Sparks to Minneapolis-St. Paul

From the warehouse at 2277 Glendale Ave in Sparks, Minneapolis-St. Paul is 1,760 miles away by road, or 30 h 6 min at free-flow speed. Plan on four driving days at 500 miles a day. The straight-line figure is 1,400 miles, which means the road adds about 361. None of this sets the delivery date, since the delivery window comes from your written estimate.

The routing tool breaks the trip into its main roads: I-80 for 800 miles, I-90 for 540 miles, Minnesota 60 for 96 miles and Wyoming 220 for 64 miles. I-80 is the backbone, at about 45 percent of the distance.

The Twin Cities route starts on I-90 and not I-80. It covers 540 miles on I-90, 96 on Minnesota 60, 64 on Wyoming 220 and 800 on I-80, with connectors making up the rest. In plain terms, the route runs southwest across southern Minnesota and South Dakota, cuts across Wyoming, then joins I-80 for the run through Utah and Nevada. Hennepin County is the main origin county in the Census flow data, and a Minneapolis or St. Paul address brings its own winter considerations at the start.

Reading the road numbers

A driver covering 500 miles a day would finish three full days and then a short final stretch of about 260 miles. The free-flow time implies an average pace near 58 miles per hour. Expect to set your watch back two hours on the way, since Reno runs on Pacific Time.

If you follow the truck in your own vehicle, the long I-80 stretch is where fuel, food and rest stops are easiest to find. The connector roads that make up the remaining 260 miles are the short, busy pieces at the start and end.

Terrain and weather on the way

Minneapolis sits at 866 feet and Reno at about 4,930. The routing tool lists no named pass, but this is the coldest origin in the batch, with a January low near 8.8 degrees and about 51 inches of snow a year. The plains of South Dakota and Wyoming expose the road to wind, so a winter move calls for flexibility on departure day. Minnesota's 511 map and Wyoming's road map are the two to watch.

Before loading day, check the state road-conditions site listed below for the start of the route and the Nevada road map (NDOT) for the finish.

Timing the trip and planning your own drive

Timing a move from Minneapolis-St. Paul comes down to two seasons: the winter weeks, when a storm anywhere along the 1,760 miles can stretch the schedule, and the summer weeks, when demand is highest. A winter move still works, and your estimator builds weather time into the plan.

Because I-80 carries about 45 percent of the distance, a closure or crash on that one road affects the whole trip, and planners leave slack in the schedule for it. Driving behind the truck yourself? Count on four days, fill the tank before the longest empty stretches, and book lodging in advance during summer.

What changes when you arrive in Reno

The Census median rent in Minneapolis-St. Paul is $1,371 a month and the median home value is $362,200; in Reno city they are $1,556 and $548,300. The Census median household income in Reno city is $80,760, against $80,846 in Minneapolis-St. Paul. The table above puts both ends side by side.

Weather differs too. In Minneapolis-St. Paul the January low is 8.8 degrees and the July high is 83.4, with 32 inches of precipitation a year; in Reno they are 26.1 and 93.9, with 7.3 inches of precipitation and about 21 inches of snow.

Median household income is $80,846 in Minneapolis and $80,760 in Reno city, almost identical, so the comparison comes down to housing and weather. Reno has a January low of 26.1 against 8.8 in Minneapolis, and snowfall of about 21 inches against about 51.

How the move works with O'Brien's

You book with O'Brien's, a Bekins Van Lines agent since 1955, and we coordinate the Minneapolis-St. Paul move through the Bekins network. When the shipment reaches Northern Nevada we deliver and unpack it, and we store it in Sparks if your home is not ready. Your written estimate sets the delivery window.

Long-distance moves are priced by weight, and your estimate is itemized and in writing. You can start with a phone ballpark at 775-359-6683, an online request or a free in-home estimate, and you get an itemized inventory and condition report before packing. The in-home estimate comes with 10 free heavy-duty boxes, yours to keep.

A gap between homes is common, and the Sparks warehouse (30,000 square feet) can hold the shipment until you are ready, with vault storage from $40 per month. For the order of events, read how an interstate move works with a Bekins agent.

Getting settled in Reno

After you arrive, the Nevada DMV expects new residents to register a vehicle and apply for a Nevada license within 30 days. The moving to Reno guide covers utilities, schools and county services, and the Minnesota page covers what changes from your state.