London Gateway to Houston shipping route.

London Gateway to Houston is a 4,992 nautical mile shipping route on a direct course, heading north west from the United Kingdom to the United States. That is 9,245 km of water against 7,838 km as the crow flies. No canals or major straits on this leg, the ship stays close to the direct line.

At sea, the voyage lasts 17.3 days at 12 knots, 14.9 days at 14 knots and 11.6 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 London Gateway and Houston to plan the full ocean transit time.

1,331 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 London Gateway 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 61 port to port routes from London Gateway in this directory, Houston is the 22nd shortest. Closer destinations include Balboa (4,784 nm), Cartagena (4,650 nm) and Djibouti (4,614 nm).