Lagos (Apapa) to Houston shipping route.

Ships leaving Lagos (Apapa) for Houston head north west and cover a sea distance of 6,128 nautical miles (11,350 km), on a direct course. The straight line between the ports is 10,482 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 18.2 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 21.3 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 14.2. 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 Lagos (Apapa) and Houston to plan the full ocean transit time.

683 nm of the route, 11% 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 Lagos (Apapa) 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 65 port to port routes from Lagos (Apapa) in this directory, Houston is the 30th shortest. Closer destinations include Jeddah (5,808 nm), Savannah (5,320 nm) and Montreal (5,277 nm).