Houston to Felixstowe shipping route.

Ships leaving Houston for Felixstowe head north east and cover a sea distance of 4,991 nautical miles (9,243 km), on a direct course. The straight line between the ports is 7,872 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. No canals or major straits on this leg, the ship stays close to the direct line.

Pure steaming time is 14.9 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 17.3 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 11.6. 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 Felixstowe to plan the full ocean transit time.

1,329 nm of the route, 27% 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 Houston to Felixstowe move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Felixstowe (GBFXT) carriers give about 5 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, Felixstowe is the 13th shortest. Closer destinations include Oakland (4,911 nm), Le Havre (4,869 nm) and Algeciras (4,790 nm).