Moving from Phoenix to Payson? Nonstop Moving runs the Beeline Highway weekly — primary homes, second-home cabins, and full retirements heading to Payson, Pine, Strawberry, and Star Valley. Phoenix-based and Arizona-licensed.
Payson’s only 87 miles from Phoenix, but the SR-87 climb up to 4,900 feet is no joke — narrow lanes, steep grades through the Tonto National Forest, and weekend traffic that triples in summer. Nonstop Moving runs the Beeline every week and times jobs around the worst stretches. Here’s why we’re the right call for the Phoenix-to-Payson route.
SR-87 from Mesa to Payson climbs 3,500 feet over 70 miles, and the last 20 are two-lane through the Mazatzal mountains. We load trucks knowing that grade is coming. Crews that haven’t done the route get caught off guard by the curves above Sunflower — we don’t.
A big chunk of our Payson business is second-home setups: keep the Phoenix house, furnish a cabin in Pine or Star Valley. We help with the realities — what gets driven up once and stays, what goes back and forth, what’s better bought new in Payson.
The team loading your house in Tempe or Scottsdale is the team unloading in Payson. We don’t broker the back end of the move out to a contractor we’ve never met. Locally owned, fully Arizona-licensed, one accountable company.
You get a flat written estimate based on home size and route — not a meter that runs while you’re stuck behind an RV at Sunflower. Get a free quote and the number’s the number.
The Phoenix-to-Payson route covers 87 miles and takes about 1 hour 45 minutes on the road via SR-87 N (the Beeline Highway). For a typical 3-bedroom home, plan on a 9-to-11-hour day. A 2-bedroom cabin setup or apartment runs 6 to 8 hours. The mileage is short, but the climb adds drive time and the unload is often into homes with stairs, decks, or steep driveways.
The route, in plain terms:
What drives your price: home size, distance, and access at the Payson end. Steep cabin driveways, long carries from the truck to the front door, and stairs all add time. Specialty items (hot tubs are common on Payson moves) are quoted separately. Free quote shows every line.
Best time to move: mid-week early mornings. Friday afternoons on SR-87 are the worst traffic of the week — Phoenix weekenders heading to cabins. Sunday afternoons going back toward the Valley are nearly as bad. We aim for Monday-through-Wednesday departures and avoid summer weekends entirely.
Winter watch: Payson sits at 4,900 feet and gets snow several times a season. SR-87 closes occasionally for storms. If you’re moving December through March, we’ll watch the forecast and pick a window — chains and ice on a moving truck aren’t safe for your stuff or our crew.
Payson sits at the foot of the Mogollon Rim, and at 4,900 feet, summers run 20 degrees cooler than the Valley. That’s the main draw — heat refugees and cabin owners. The cities we move out of most:
Phoenix To Payson – Full retirees and remote workers leaving the Valley for ponderosa pine country and four real seasons.
Mesa To Payson – The shortest version of the move; lots of second-home setups since SR-87 starts in Mesa.
Scottsdale To Payson – Right-sizers and cabin owners; common to keep both homes for several years before going full Payson.
Gilbert To Pine & Strawberry – Pine and Strawberry sit just past Payson on SR-87. Same route, same day, slightly longer drive.
Tempe To Payson & Star Valley – Star Valley is just east of Payson on SR-260; many of our Payson jobs are technically Star Valley addresses. Chandler residents make the same move on the same route.
Apartment & Residential Moving – Whether you’re moving from Phoenix to Payson or relocating within Arizona, our crew handles the full job — packing, loading, transport, and placement on the other end.
Packing Services – If you don’t want to spend two weeks taping boxes, we’ll do it. Pro packing protects fragile items on the long drive to Payson and keeps your unpack day short.
Office Movers – Moving a business to Payson? We handle desks, electronics, and server gear with the timing your team needs to stay productive.
Fitness Equipment Movers – Treadmills, racks, weight stacks. We have the tools to disassemble, transport, and reassemble heavy gym gear for your Payson home or facility.
Hot Tub Movers – Spas need crane-and-dolly handling, not a couple guys and a pickup. Our team has moved hundreds of hot tubs to homes across Arizona.
Piano Movers – Uprights, baby grands, full grands. Trained Payson movers with the right boards, dollies, and straps for safe transit.
Safe Movers – Gun safes, fireproof safes, commercial vaults. We’ve moved 1,500-pound safes up stairs and into basements without scratching a floor.
Intrastate Movers In Phoenix That Go The Extra Mile, Including Payson!
