Germany
United StatesHamburg to Houston shipping route.
5,250 nautical miles direct, about 15.6 days of steaming at 14 knots.
Sea Distance Between Ports: Hamburg and Houston
Port to Port Distance on the map, along real shipping lanes.
HamburgSeaHoustonShipping time from Hamburg to Houston
| Route | Distance | 12 kn | 14 kn | 18 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| direct (shortest) | 5,250 nm | 18.2 d | 15.6 d | 12.2 d |
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About the Hamburg to Houston shipping route
Ships leaving Hamburg for Houston head north west and cover a sea distance of 5,250 nautical miles (9,723 km), on a direct course. The straight line between the ports is 8,310 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. No canals or major straits on this leg, the ship stays close to the direct line.
Shipping time depends on speed. At 14 knots, a common container ship service speed, the passage takes 15.6 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 18.2 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 12.2. 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 Houston to plan the full ocean transit time.
3,402 nm of the route, 65% of it, lies inside North American 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 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 64 port to port routes from Hamburg in this directory, Houston is the 25th shortest. Closer destinations include Balboa (5,108 nm), Cartagena (4,974 nm) and Djibouti (4,938 nm).
FAQ
How many nautical miles from Hamburg to Houston?
The port to port distance from Hamburg to Houston is 5,250 nautical miles (9,723 km), direct.
What is the shipping time from Hamburg to Houston?
About 15.6 days at 14 knots and 12.2 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?
3,402 nm sit inside ECA waters (North American ECA, North Sea ECA), where ships burn 0.1% sulphur fuel.
Is the return route the same?
The reverse route Houston 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 - Savannah to Houston1,370 nm
- Charleston to Houston1,401 nm
Balboa to Houston1,552 nm
Cartagena to Houston1,765 nm- New York to Houston1,921 nm
Callao to Houston2,939 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.