Balboa to Houston shipping route.

The shipping route from Balboa, Panama to Houston, United States covers 1,552 nautical miles port to port, via Panama Canal. On a globe the two ports sit 2,834 km apart, so the ship sails 1.01 times the straight line distance. On the way the vessel passes Panama Canal, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

Pure steaming time is 4.6 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 5.4 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 3.6. Container transit time on a liner service is longer than the steaming time: ships call at other ports on the rotation, and cargo may transship at a hub. Add terminal time at Balboa and Houston to plan the full ocean transit time.

352 nm of the route, 23% of it, lies inside North American ECA. In an emission control area ships must burn fuel with no more than 0.1% sulphur or clean the exhaust with scrubbers. That fuel costs more, and carriers add it to the ocean freight bill as a low sulphur or ECA surcharge.

Container freight rates on Balboa to Houston move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Houston (USHOU) carriers give about 4 free days before demurrage and detention charges start, so plan the truck or rail pickup before the box lands.

Of the 65 port to port routes from Balboa in this directory, Houston is the 3rd shortest. Closer destinations include Callao (1,386 nm) and Cartagena (328 nm).