Germany
PanamaHamburg to Balboa shipping route.
5,108 nautical miles via Panama Canal, about 15.2 days of steaming at 14 knots.
Sea Distance Between Ports: Hamburg and Balboa
Port to Port Distance on the map, along real shipping lanes.
HamburgPanama CanalBalboaShipping time from Hamburg to Balboa
| Route | Distance | 12 kn | 14 kn | 18 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| via Panama Canal (shortest) | 5,108 nm | 17.7 d | 15.2 d | 11.8 d |
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About the Hamburg to Balboa shipping route
Ships leaving Hamburg for Balboa head west and cover a sea distance of 5,108 nautical miles (9,460 km), via Panama Canal. The straight line between the ports is 9,178 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.
Shipping time depends on speed. At 14 knots, a common container ship service speed, the passage takes 15.2 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 17.7 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 11.8. 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 Hamburg and Balboa to plan the full ocean transit time.
757 nm of the route, 15% of it, lies inside US Caribbean Sea ECA and North Sea 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 Hamburg 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 64 port to port routes from Hamburg in this directory, Balboa is the 24th shortest. Closer destinations include Cartagena (4,974 nm), Djibouti (4,938 nm) and Lagos (Apapa) (4,515 nm).
FAQ
How many nautical miles from Hamburg to Balboa?
The port to port distance from Hamburg to Balboa is 5,108 nautical miles (9,460 km), via Panama Canal. The route passes Panama Canal.
What is the shipping time from Hamburg to Balboa?
About 15.2 days at 14 knots and 11.8 days at 18 knots of steaming, without port calls. Scheduled liner services add calls and transhipment.
How much of the route is in an emission control area?
757 nm sit inside ECA waters (US Caribbean Sea ECA, North Sea ECA), where ships burn 0.1% sulphur fuel.
Is the return route the same?
The reverse route Balboa to Hamburg has its own page with the same distance and route.
More port to port distance
- Hamburg to
Rotterdam310 nm - Hamburg to
Antwerp362 nm - Hamburg to
Felixstowe372 nm - Hamburg to
Gothenburg389 nm - Hamburg to London Gateway404 nm
- Hamburg to
Le Havre500 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.