Balboa to Seattle shipping route.

The shipping route from Balboa, Panama to Seattle, United States covers 4,188 nautical miles port to port, via Panama Canal. On a globe the two ports sit 5,879 km apart, so the ship sails 1.32 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 12.5 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 14.5 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 9.7. 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 Seattle to plan the full ocean transit time.

1,267 nm of the route, 30% 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 Seattle move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Seattle (USSEA) carriers give about 3.94 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, Seattle is the 11th shortest. Closer destinations include Oakland (3,359 nm), Montreal (3,334 nm) and Los Angeles (2,974 nm).