Houston to Cartagena shipping route.

Ships leaving Houston for Cartagena head south east and cover a sea distance of 1,765 nautical miles (3,268 km), on a direct course. The straight line between the ports is 2,971 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 5.3 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 6.1 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 4.1. 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 Cartagena to plan the full ocean transit time.

352 nm of the route, 20% 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 Cartagena move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Cartagena (COCTG) carriers give about 10 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, Cartagena is the 4th shortest. Closer destinations include Balboa (1,552 nm), Charleston (1,401 nm) and Savannah (1,370 nm).