Mombasa to Seattle shipping route.

Ships leaving Mombasa for Seattle head north and cover a sea distance of 11,291 nautical miles (20,910 km), via Strait of Malacca. The straight line between the ports is 14,877 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. On the way the vessel passes Strait of Malacca.

Shipping time depends on speed. At 14 knots, a common container ship service speed, the passage takes 33.6 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 39.2 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 26.1. 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 Mombasa and Seattle to plan the full ocean transit time.

The next option is via Sunda Strait, 11,614 nautical miles, 323 nm longer than the main route. Carriers pick it when Sunda Strait is congested or closed.

548 nm of the route, 5% 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 Mombasa to Seattle move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Seattle (USSEA) carriers give about 3.94 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 Mombasa in this directory, Seattle is the 62nd shortest. Closer destinations include Manzanillo (10,744 nm), Houston (9,794 nm) and Callao (9,168 nm).