United States
PanamaLos Angeles to Balboa shipping route.
2,974 nautical miles via Panama Canal, about 8.9 days of steaming at 14 knots.
Sea Distance Between Ports: Los Angeles and Balboa
Port to Port Distance on the map, along real shipping lanes.
Los AngelesPanama CanalBalboaShipping time from Los Angeles to Balboa
| Route | Distance | 12 kn | 14 kn | 18 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| via Panama Canal (shortest) | 2,974 nm | 10.3 d | 8.9 d | 6.9 d |
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About the Los Angeles to Balboa shipping route
Ships leaving Los Angeles for Balboa head south east and cover a sea distance of 2,974 nautical miles (5,507 km), via Panama Canal. The straight line between the ports is 4,819 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. 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 10.3 days at 12 knots, 8.9 days at 14 knots and 6.9 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 Los Angeles and Balboa to plan the full ocean transit time.
53 nm of the route, 2% 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 Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles in this directory, Balboa is the 5th shortest. Closer destinations include Manzanillo (1,284 nm), Vancouver (1,235 nm) and Seattle (1,214 nm).
FAQ
How many nautical miles from Los Angeles to Balboa?
The port to port distance from Los Angeles to Balboa is 2,974 nautical miles (5,507 km), via Panama Canal. The route passes Panama Canal.
What is the shipping time from Los Angeles to Balboa?
About 8.9 days at 14 knots and 6.9 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?
53 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 Los Angeles has its own page with the same distance and route.
More port to port distance
- Los Angeles to Oakland385 nm
- Los Angeles to Seattle1,214 nm
- Los Angeles to
Vancouver1,235 nm - Los Angeles to
Manzanillo1,284 nm - Los Angeles to
Cartagena3,301 nm - Los Angeles to
Callao3,654 nm - Cartagena to Balboa328 nm
- Callao to Balboa1,386 nm
- Houston to Balboa1,552 nm
- Charleston to Balboa1,608 nm
- Savannah to Balboa1,617 nm
- Manzanillo to Balboa1,690 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.