Best Time of Year to Move in Sacramento: Seasons, Months, and Days Compared

Most advice about the best time of year to move is written for the whole country. It warns you about snow, icy roads, and frozen driveways, then tells you to move in winter. In Sacramento, that advice misses the two things that actually shape a moving day here: triple-digit summer heat and a wet season that runs from November through March.

Here’s the short answer. In the Sacramento area, the best windows are April, May, and October, on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday in the middle of the month, with an early morning start. Below, we break down each season, the busiest weeks of the year, how to handle heat and rain, and what to plan around if you rent, have kids in school, or live near a college campus.

The Best Time of Year to Move in Sacramento

The best time of year to move in Sacramento is spring (April and May) or mid-fall (October). Both seasons bring mild afternoons and very little rain, and neither falls in the middle of the summer rush.

Each season has a clear trade-off:

• Spring (March to May). March can still be wet, but April and May are the sweet spot. Highs run in the 70s, and you’ll see only two or three rainy days a month.
• Summer (June to September). This is peak moving season. Schedules fill fast, and afternoons regularly pass 90°F.
• Fall (October and November). October is often the most comfortable month of the year to move. By November, the first storms usually arrive.
• Winter (December to February). Moving companies are quieter, but this is the heart of the rainy season.

Here’s what the weather looks like month by month, based on 1991–2020 normals for Sacramento Executive Airport.

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals.

In short, July and August bring the heat, December through February bring the rain, and April, May, and October sit in between.

Peak Moving Season and the Busiest Months

Peak moving season is the stretch from May through September, when the largest share of households move. It is also the busiest moving season in Sacramento, for several reasons that pile up at once.

School is out, so families can move without pulling kids out of class mid-semester. Many leases turn over in summer. College students leave Davis and Sacramento State at the end of spring term and come back in late August and September. The result is that June, July, and August are the most popular months to move, even though they are also the hottest.

What this means in practice is availability, not quality. During peak season, Saturdays and the last few days of each month get booked first. If your date is fixed, book local moving in Sacramento as soon as you know it. If your date is flexible, a weekday in mid-month gives you the most choice of arrival times. The off-peak moving season, roughly October through April, is calmer, but you trade crowded calendars for rain from November on.

Tips for Moving in the Summer Heat

Moving in the summer heat in Sacramento is very doable if you plan the day around the temperature. July and August average about 20 days above 90°F and four to five days above 100°F.

These tips for moving in the summer make the biggest difference:

• Start early. A 7 or 8 a.m. start lets the heaviest loading happen before the hottest part of the day. If you’re wondering how long your move will run, see how long a local move takes by home size.
• Keep the AC on at both homes. Cool rooms help everyone, and they protect items waiting to be loaded.
• Pack a cooler. Set out water for everyone working, and take short breaks in the shade.
• Don’t leave heat-sensitive items in a hot truck or car. Electronics, candles, cosmetics, medications, vinyl records, and houseplants should ride with you in an air-conditioned car.
• Plan for pets. Keep them in a cool, closed room or with a sitter until the truck is gone.

The National Weather Service has more on how to stay safe in high temperatures in its heat safety guide. In late summer and early fall, wildfire smoke can also drift into the valley, so check the air quality forecast on AirNow.gov the day before.

A hot day doesn’t have to slow a good crew down. As one customer put it: “They worked nonstop to get my stuff loaded onto their truck-on a triple digit day no less!” (Jacki F.)

Moving in the Rain: Sacramento’s Wet Season

Sacramento gets most of its rain between November and March, and December through February average six to seven rainy days a month. Moving in the rain is common here in winter, and with the right prep it rarely damages anything.

The real risks are wet cardboard, muddy floors, and moving furniture in the rain without covering it. A professional crew handles most of that. Furniture gets wrapped in moving blankets and stretch film before it leaves the house, door frames are padded, and floor protection can be laid down at both homes on request. In the wet season, professional packing for fragile items is worth considering.

A few tips for moving in the rain that are on you:

• Clear a short, direct path from the front door to where the truck will park.
• Put old towels and a doormat at each entrance.
• Keep packed boxes off the garage floor and away from open doors.
• Pack electronics, books, and paperwork in plastic bins or double-taped boxes.

Light rain usually isn’t a reason to change your date. If a major storm is in the forecast, call early: the $200 deposit that holds your date is refundable if you cancel at least 48 hours ahead. One customer wrote that the team “did an amazing job despite dealing with a massive rain storm.” (Steven W.)

The Best Month and Day of the Week to Move

The best month to move in Sacramento is April, May, or October, and the best day of the week to move is Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Weekends, especially Saturdays, book up first all year long.

Timing within the month matters too. Leases tend to start and end around the 1st, so the last few days of one month and the first few days of the next are the busiest stretch on any calendar. A move on the 10th or the 20th usually gives you more flexibility on start time.

Early morning is best in every season: it’s cooler in summer and gives you more daylight in winter. On weekdays, try to keep the truck off I-80, US-50, and I-5 during morning and evening rush hours, especially if you’re moving between cities like Roseville, Folsom, or Elk Grove. Once you’ve picked a date, our step-by-step moving checklist helps you work backward from it.

Moving With Kids Around the School Calendar

Is summer the best time to move with kids? For most families, yes. A summer move lets children finish the school year and settle in before classes start again. Most school districts in the region, including Sacramento City Unified, Elk Grove Unified, and Folsom Cordova Unified, start the new year in early-to-mid August, so aim to be unpacked by the end of July. Moving midyear is fine too, and winter break gives you a natural pause, but you’ll be working around the rainy season.

The Best Time to Move Into an Apartment

The best time to move into an apartment is a weekday in the middle of the month, with a few days of overlap between your old lease and your new one. That way, you’re not racing everyone else in the complex for the elevator and the loading zone on the 1st.

If you’re choosing the best time of year to move into an apartment, the same seasonal logic applies: April, May, and October are the most comfortable months. The best month to move into an apartment also depends on your lease, so if you can set your own start date, avoid the end-of-month crunch.

Ask the property manager whether you need to reserve the elevator or a loading time slot. Many complexes also ask movers for a certificate of insurance (COI) before they’ll allow the move, so request it early. If you can, overlap your leases by a few days. The best time to move out is then a day or two before your old lease ends, which leaves time to clean and handle the walkthrough without cramming move-out and move-in into one long day.

College towns have their own rush. UC Davis runs on a quarter system, so student moves in Davis tend to spike in early-to-mid June, when spring quarter ends, and again in late September, before fall quarter begins. Around Sacramento State, the busy weeks are usually mid-to-late May, after spring finals, and late August, before fall classes start. For the details on stairs, elevators, and building rules, see our apartment moving help page.

Does the Time of Year Change What You Pay?

With Double Move, no. The hourly rate is the same in July as it is in January, on a Saturday or a Tuesday, at the start of the month or the middle. Many moving companies charge more in peak season, so ask about it when you compare quotes.

For reference, the standard rate for a two-person crew is $159 per hour, with the truck and fuel included and a three-hour minimum. Since the rate doesn’t change, what moves your total is time. Heat breaks, extra care in the rain, rush-hour traffic, and boxes that aren’t packed yet all add hours. When your two homes are more than 10 miles apart, California’s Double Drive Time rule also applies: drive time between the locations is billed twice, so 15 minutes on the road counts as 30. The cheapest move is a well-prepared one with an early start on a weekday.

How Double Move Handles Moves in Any Season

Double Move crews are trained, background-checked W-2 employees, never day laborers. In summer and winter alike, they wrap furniture in moving blankets and stretch film, pad door frames, and lay floor protection on request. The company is licensed by the California Bureau of Household Goods and Services (CAL-T 192712), holds USDOT number 4027902, and is fully insured.

You get a written, non-binding time estimate before you book. A $200 deposit holds your date, and support is available seven days a week if plans shift.

Plan Your Sacramento Move Around the Right Date

The best time of year to move in Sacramento is a mild spring or October weekday, but a well-planned move works in any season. When you’ve picked your date, book your local move through our free quote form or call +1 619-393-4722 for a written time estimate.