South Africa
PanamaCape Town to Balboa shipping route.
6,584 nautical miles via Panama Canal, about 19.6 days of steaming at 14 knots.
Sea Distance Between Ports: Cape Town and Balboa
Port to Port Distance on the map, along real shipping lanes.
Cape TownPanama CanalBalboaShipping time from Cape Town to Balboa
| Route | Distance | 12 kn | 14 kn | 18 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| via Panama Canal (shortest) | 6,584 nm | 22.9 d | 19.6 d | 15.2 d |
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About the Cape Town to Balboa shipping route
Ships leaving Cape Town for Balboa head west and cover a sea distance of 6,584 nautical miles (12,193 km), via Panama Canal. The straight line between the ports is 11,294 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. On the way the vessel passes Panama Canal, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.
At sea, the voyage lasts 22.9 days at 12 knots, 19.6 days at 14 knots and 15.2 days at 18 knots. 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 Cape Town and Balboa to plan the full ocean transit time.
Container freight rates on Cape Town to Balboa move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Balboa (PABLB) carriers give about 7 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 Cape Town in this directory, Balboa is the 37th shortest. Closer destinations include Hamburg (6,570 nm), Bremerhaven (6,524 nm) and Sydney (6,523 nm).
FAQ
How many nautical miles from Cape Town to Balboa?
The port to port distance from Cape Town to Balboa is 6,584 nautical miles (12,193 km), via Panama Canal. The route passes Panama Canal.
What is the shipping time from Cape Town to Balboa?
About 19.6 days at 14 knots and 15.2 days at 18 knots of steaming, without port calls. Scheduled liner services add calls and transhipment.
Is the return route the same?
The reverse route Balboa to Cape Town has its own page with the same distance and route.
More port to port distance
- Cape Town to Durban875 nm
- Cape Town to
Lagos (Apapa)2,619 nm - Cape Town to
Mombasa2,631 nm - Cape Town to
Santos3,508 nm - Cape Town to
Buenos Aires3,846 nm - Cape Town to
Salalah4,010 nm 
Cartagena to Balboa328 nm
Callao to Balboa1,386 nm
Houston to Balboa1,552 nm- Charleston to Balboa1,608 nm
- Savannah to Balboa1,617 nm
Manzanillo to Balboa1,690 nm
How we count: sea routes follow shipping lanes and canals, time is pure steaming at 14 knots without port calls. Engine navo-distance-time 0.3.0. See all sea distance between ports or the Shipping Routes Directory.