Los Angeles to Vancouver shipping route.
1,235 nautical miles direct, about 3.7 days of steaming at 14 knots.
Sea Distance Between Ports: Los Angeles and Vancouver
Port to Port Distance on the map, along real shipping lanes.
Shipping time from Los Angeles to Vancouver
| Route | Distance | 12 kn | 14 kn | 18 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| direct (shortest) | 1,235 nm | 4.3 d | 3.7 d | 2.9 d |
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About the Los Angeles to Vancouver shipping route
The shipping route from Los Angeles, United States to Vancouver, Canada covers 1,235 nautical miles port to port, on a direct course. On a globe the two ports sit 1,776 km apart, so the ship sails 1.29 times the straight line distance. No canals on this leg, the extra miles come from sailing around headlands and islands.
Shipping time depends on speed. At 14 knots, a common container ship service speed, the passage takes 3.7 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 4.3 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 2.9. 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 Vancouver to plan the full ocean transit time.
1,235 nm of the route, 100% 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 Vancouver move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Vancouver (CAVAN) carriers give about 3 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, Vancouver is the 3rd shortest. Closer destinations include Seattle (1,214 nm) and Oakland (385 nm).
FAQ
How many nautical miles from Los Angeles to Vancouver?
The port to port distance from Los Angeles to Vancouver is 1,235 nautical miles (2,288 km), direct.
What is the shipping time from Los Angeles to Vancouver?
About 3.7 days at 14 knots and 2.9 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?
1,235 nm sit inside ECA waters (North American ECA), where ships burn 0.1% sulphur fuel.
Is the return route the same?
The reverse route Vancouver 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
Manzanillo1,284 nm
Los Angeles to
Balboa2,974 nm
Los Angeles to
Cartagena3,301 nm
Los Angeles to
Callao3,654 nm
Oakland to
Vancouver901 nm
Manzanillo to
Vancouver2,520 nm
Balboa to
Vancouver4,209 nm
Yokohama to
Vancouver4,321 nm
Tokyo to
Vancouver4,332 nm
Cartagena to
Vancouver4,537 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.