Los Angeles to Jeddah shipping route.

Ships leaving Los Angeles for Jeddah head north east and cover a sea distance of 9,984 nautical miles (18,490 km), via Suez Canal. The straight line between the ports is 13,429 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. On the way the vessel passes Strait of Gibraltar, Panama Canal and Suez Canal, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

Shipping time depends on speed. At 14 knots, a common container ship service speed, the passage takes 29.7 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 34.7 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 23.1. 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 Jeddah to plan the full ocean transit time.

The next option is via Strait of Malacca, 12,160 nautical miles, 2,176 nm longer than the main route. Carriers pick it when Bab-el-Mandeb is congested or closed.

2,136 nm of the route, 21% of it, lies inside North American ECA, US Caribbean Sea ECA and Mediterranean 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 Los Angeles to Jeddah move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Jeddah (SAJED) 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, Jeddah is the 57th shortest. Closer destinations include Cape Town (9,557 nm), Colombo (9,376 nm) and Mersin (9,328 nm).