Madera County · Southbay Moving Systems
Chowchilla jobs are run by our Central Valley operation in the Fresno area, 39 miles south, about 46 minutes away, rather than driven over from our Salinas headquarters 107 miles west. Southbay has been licensed and moving California households since 1991.
Authorized agent of National Van Lines · USDOT 2967929 · MC 1213784 · Verify any mover
Moving in Chowchilla: what to plan for
- Chowchilla began as O. A. Robertson’s land colony, which held its grand opening on October 15, 1912, and was laid out along the 12-mile, palm-lined Robertson Boulevard.
- The Western Stampede cattle drive has run down Robertson Boulevard every spring since March 28, 1958, and opens the Western Stampede weekend.
- Two state prisons, Central California Women’s Facility and Valley State Prison, have Chowchilla addresses.
Robertson Boulevard is the main street and the route of the spring cattle drive, so if your move touches it that weekend we check the date and plan around it. Madera is 16 miles away and Merced 19, which makes a move between the three towns a short day.
What a Chowchilla move costs
Local moves — anything under 100 miles — are billed hourly. Our rate is $160 an hour with a $500 minimum, and that covers the crew, the truck, the pads and the equipment. Nothing on this page is a quote: the only number that matters is the written estimate you get after we see what you are moving.
What moves the number up or down: how much you are actually taking, stairs and long carries, whether we are packing for you, and the time of month. Moves over 100 miles are quoted on weight and distance instead of by the hour — that covers our long-distance and intrastate work.
Want a real number for your Chowchilla move?
How far Chowchilla is from the places people move to
Real driving distances, not straight lines. Useful when you are weighing a local move against a longer one, or working out whether a job finishes in a day.
| From Chowchilla to | Distance | Typical drive |
|---|---|---|
| Madera | 16 mi | 20 min |
| Madera Acres | 16 mi | 23 min |
| Merced | 19 mi | 24 min |
| Atwater | 27 mi | 33 min |
| Los Banos | 35 mi | 44 min |
| Fresno | 39 mi | 46 min |
| Modesto | 58 mi | 1h 10m |
| Salinas | 105 mi | 2h 10m |
| San Jose | 114 mi | 2h 22m |
| Los Angeles | 255 mi | 4h 47m |
Driving distances and times are for a car on a clear run. A loaded truck takes longer, and your delivery date is confirmed in writing when you book.
PCS and DITY moves
NAS Lemoore is 75 miles from Chowchilla, a little under two hours. We handle PCS and DITY moves there, and our Salinas warehouse is military approved if your report date and your housing date do not line up.
| NAS Lemoore | 75 mi · 1h 48m |
Our 20,000 sq ft warehouse is climate controlled, monitored 24/7 and military approved. More on our military moving page.
What we do in Chowchilla
- Local moves — Houses, condos and apartments inside Chowchilla and the rest of Madera County.
- Long-distance — Out of state, as an authorized agent of National Van Lines.
- Commercial and office — Offices, warehouses and FF&E, scheduled around your operating hours.
- Packing — Full or partial. Our packers train 12 hours a year and wardrobes are free.
- Storage — 20,000 sq ft, climate controlled, monitored 24/7, military approved.
- Piano moving — Uprights and grands, with the right board and equipment.
- Senior moves — Downsizing, sorting, furniture placement and bed reassembly.
- Labor only — You bring the truck or container, we bring the crew and the equipment.
One thing we do not do: hot tubs. If that is on your list we will tell you up front rather than on move day.
Official Chowchilla and California resources
The paperwork side of a move, straight from the agencies that handle it. We are not affiliated with any of them; these are the pages our customers end up needing.
- City of ChowchillaCity services and contacts at the new address.
- Chowchilla Western Stampede cattle driveCheck the date before you book a spring move on or near Robertson Boulevard.
- Madera County AssessorChange of ownership and homeowners’ exemption filings.
- Madera County Clerk-Recorder-ElectionsRecorded documents, and updating your voter registration inside the county.
- Military installation guidesHousing, TMO and in-processing details for the base you are reporting to.
- Change your address with USPSThe official USPS change-of-address service. Do this first; most other mail follows it.
- Update the address on your license or IDCalifornia gives you 10 days to tell the DMV. You do not need an office visit.
- Update the address on your registrationSeparate from your license. Have your most recent registration card handy.
- Know your rights with a California moverThe Bureau of Household Goods and Services regulates every in-state household mover.
- Check any mover’s license before you bookLook us up too. Southbay is USDOT 2967929, MC 1213784.
- Protect Your Move (interstate)The federal rules that apply once your move crosses a state line.
- Re-register to vote at your new addressMoving within California still needs a new registration.
Chowchilla moving questions
How far is your nearest crew from Chowchilla?
Thirty-nine miles. Chowchilla jobs run out of our Central Valley operation in the Fresno area, about 46 minutes south. Our head office and warehouse are in Salinas, 107 miles west, and we are not going to pretend a crew drives over from there.
What does it cost to hire movers in Chowchilla?
Local moves are $160 an hour with a $500 minimum, crew, truck, pads and equipment included. Chowchilla to Madera is 16 miles and to Merced 19, so both are hourly local work. Stairs, long carries and packing add hours; the written estimate shows it all before you commit.
We are moving off Robertson Boulevard in the spring. Is the cattle drive a problem?
Only if nobody checks the calendar. The Western Stampede cattle drive has gone down Robertson Boulevard every spring since 1958. We look up the date when you book and keep the truck off the route that day.
I am transferring to a job at one of the prisons near Chowchilla. Can you work to my start date?
Yes. Central California Women’s Facility and Valley State Prison both have Chowchilla addresses, and a fixed start date is something we schedule backward from. If housing is not ready in time, our Salinas warehouse can hold the shipment — see storage.
Can you take a Chowchilla household to the coast or out of state?
Both. Salinas is 105 miles away and San Jose 114, which puts them over our 100-mile line, so they are intrastate moves quoted on weight and distance. Out of state, we move as an authorized agent of National Van Lines — see long-distance moving.
I already rented a truck. Can I hire just a loading crew in Chowchilla?
Yes. You bring the truck or container, we bring the crew and the equipment. It is billed by the hour like any local job. More on our labor-only page.
Ready to get your Chowchilla move on the calendar?
Nearby areas we serve in Madera County: Madera, Madera Acres, Merced, Planada, Atwater, Fresno. See every area we serve, or browse our moving services and the company behind them.