Routes

Manhattan to New Jersey Movers: Tunnels, Tolls and Timing

5 min read · Published Aug 11, 2026 · Dana Rivera

A box truck parked beside a white building

The quick answer

A move from Manhattan to Jersey City or Hoboken is a local move: one crew, one truck, one day. A 1-bedroom usually runs $750 to $1,200 and a 2-bedroom $1,200 to $2,000, at $165 an hour for 2 movers and a truck, plus tolls. The drive itself is often under 30 minutes. Hitting the tunnel at the wrong hour can make it an hour or more.

How long the drive really takes

A moving truck leaving Manhattan for New Jersey has three ways across the Hudson: the Holland Tunnel from Lower Manhattan, the Lincoln Tunnel from Midtown and the George Washington Bridge from Upper Manhattan. For Jersey City and Hoboken, it is almost always one of the two tunnels.

Holland Tunnel: the natural route from Tribeca, SoHo, the West Village and Lower Manhattan into Downtown Jersey City. Often 15 to 25 minutes off-peak, and 45 minutes or more once the evening backup builds.
Lincoln Tunnel: the better choice from Midtown and the Upper West Side. It comes out in Weehawken, a short drive from uptown Hoboken.
George Washington Bridge: only makes sense from Washington Heights or Inwood, and adds miles to a Hoboken or Jersey City run.

Both tunnels have height limits and rules for commercial vehicles, and our box trucks are sized to fit them. We also can’t carry propane tanks, gasoline or other flammables on any move, so empty the grill tank and the lawnmower before moving day.

Where in New Jersey we go most

Most of our Hudson moves end in Downtown Jersey City (Paulus Hook, Hamilton Park, Van Vorst Park and Harsimus Cove), Newport and the Exchange Place waterfront, Journal Square, The Heights, or anywhere in Hoboken’s Mile Square. Much of it looks like Brooklyn: brownstones, walk-ups and newer elevator towers along the water.

Waterfront towers

The towers along the Hudson in Jersey City and Hoboken almost always want a certificate of insurance, a booked service elevator and a set move window, often weekdays only. We send the COI and book the elevator for you.

Brownstones and walk-ups

Hoboken and Downtown Jersey City streets are narrow and usually parked solid on both sides. Each city sets its own rules for moving trucks on residential streets, and on some blocks that means arranging temporary no-parking signs ahead of time. Check your city’s website about two weeks out, or ask us what has worked on your block before.

Get an exact written quote, usually back within minutes.

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Tolls and parking

The Port Authority’s Hudson River crossings, including the Holland and Lincoln tunnels and the George Washington Bridge, only charge tolls in one direction: heading into New York. So the truck crosses into New Jersey free and pays on the way back. Truck tolls are higher than car tolls and depend on the number of axles and the time of day.

If we pick up in Manhattan at or below 60th Street, the truck also pays Manhattan’s congestion pricing toll to reach you. Both tolls go on your quote as separate lines at cost, so there is nothing to work out on the day.

What you pay for, and why

Your quote covers the crew’s time from start to finish, including the drive between apartments, plus the tolls. A Manhattan to Jersey City move costs about the same as a Manhattan to Brooklyn move: the tunnel replaces the bridge, and most of the hours are still spent on elevators and stairs at each end.

When we’d flag concerns

A schedule that puts the truck at the tunnel between about 4pm and 7pm on a weekday
A New Jersey building with a move window the Manhattan end cannot hit, like a 1pm cut-off after a late-morning pickup
A Friday afternoon before a holiday weekend, when traffic out of the city builds early
No parking plan for a Hoboken or Downtown Jersey City brownstone block

How to get a quote that holds

Send both addresses, the floor and elevator details at each end, both buildings’ move hours and COI requirements, and a short video of your apartment. We’ll come back with a written quote, usually within minutes, and a suggested start time based on the crossing. For more on each side of the river, see our Jersey City movers and Hoboken movers pages, or our office moves if you’re taking a business across the Hudson.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Manhattan to Jersey City move cost?

Most 1-bedrooms run $750 to $1,200 and most 2-bedrooms $1,200 to $2,000, plus tolls. It is priced like any local move: $165 an hour for 2 movers and a truck, or an agreed price.

Do you cover tolls?

Tolls are listed on your quote and charged at cost. The Hudson crossings only charge heading into New York, so it is the truck’s return trip that pays, plus Manhattan’s congestion pricing toll if we pick up at or below 60th Street.

Is a move to New Jersey a long-distance move?

Not with us. Jersey City and Hoboken are part of our regular local area, so it is a one-day move with the same crew, rate and insurance as a move inside the city. Because it crosses a state line, it is technically an interstate move, which our USDOT registration covers.

One day or two?

One. Unless you are moving a large house or an office, a Manhattan to New Jersey move is done in a single day, and with an 8am start it is usually finished by mid-afternoon.