United StatesUnited StatesLos Angeles to Charleston shipping route.
4,582 nautical miles via Panama Canal, about 13.6 days of steaming at 14 knots.
Sea Distance Between Ports: Los Angeles and Charleston
Port to Port Distance on the map, along real shipping lanes.
Los AngelesPanama CanalCharlestonShipping time from Los Angeles to Charleston
| Route | Distance | 12 kn | 14 kn | 18 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| via Panama Canal (shortest) | 4,582 nm | 15.9 d | 13.6 d | 10.6 d |
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About the Los Angeles to Charleston shipping route
Ships leaving Los Angeles for Charleston head east and cover a sea distance of 4,582 nautical miles (8,485 km), via Panama Canal. The straight line between the ports is 3,548 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.
Pure steaming time is 13.6 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 15.9 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 10.6. 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 Los Angeles and Charleston to plan the full ocean transit time.
420 nm of the route, 9% 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 Charleston move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Charleston (USCHS) 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 Los Angeles in this directory, Charleston is the 9th shortest. Closer destinations include Houston (4,526 nm), Callao (3,654 nm) and Cartagena (3,301 nm).
FAQ
How many nautical miles from Los Angeles to Charleston?
The port to port distance from Los Angeles to Charleston is 4,582 nautical miles (8,485 km), via Panama Canal. The route passes Panama Canal.
What is the shipping time from Los Angeles to Charleston?
About 13.6 days at 14 knots and 10.6 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?
420 nm sit inside ECA waters (North American ECA), where ships burn 0.1% sulphur fuel.
Is the return route the same?
The reverse route Charleston 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
Balboa2,974 nm - Los Angeles to
Cartagena3,301 nm - New York to Charleston644 nm
- Houston to Charleston1,401 nm
- Balboa to Charleston1,608 nm
- Cartagena to Charleston1,820 nm
- Montreal to Charleston2,046 nm
Callao to Charleston2,994 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.