United States
PanamaHouston to Balboa shipping route.
1,552 nautical miles via Panama Canal, about 4.6 days of steaming at 14 knots.
Sea Distance Between Ports: Houston and Balboa
Port to Port Distance on the map, along real shipping lanes.
HoustonPanama CanalBalboaShipping time from Houston to Balboa
| Route | Distance | 12 kn | 14 kn | 18 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| via Panama Canal (shortest) | 1,552 nm | 5.4 d | 4.6 d | 3.6 d |
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About the Houston to Balboa shipping route
Houston to Balboa is a 1,552 nautical mile shipping route via Panama Canal, heading south east from the United States to Panama. That is 2,875 km of water against 2,834 km as the crow flies. 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 5.4 days at 12 knots, 4.6 days at 14 knots and 3.6 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 Houston and Balboa 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 Houston 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 Houston in this directory, Balboa is the 3rd shortest. Closer destinations include Charleston (1,401 nm) and Savannah (1,370 nm).
FAQ
How many nautical miles from Houston to Balboa?
The port to port distance from Houston to Balboa is 1,552 nautical miles (2,875 km), via Panama Canal. The route passes Panama Canal.
What is the shipping time from Houston to Balboa?
About 4.6 days at 14 knots and 3.6 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?
352 nm sit inside ECA waters (North American ECA), where ships burn 0.1% sulphur fuel.
Is the return route the same?
The reverse route Balboa to Houston has its own page with the same distance and route.
More port to port distance
- Houston to Savannah1,370 nm
- Houston to Charleston1,401 nm
- Houston to
Cartagena1,765 nm - Houston to New York1,921 nm
- Houston to
Callao2,939 nm - Houston to
Manzanillo3,242 nm - Cartagena to Balboa328 nm
- Callao to Balboa1,386 nm
- Charleston to Balboa1,608 nm
- Savannah to Balboa1,617 nm
- Manzanillo to Balboa1,690 nm
- New York to Balboa2,025 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.