United States
South AfricaNew York to Cape Town shipping route.
6,933 nautical miles direct, about 20.6 days of steaming at 14 knots.
Sea Distance Between Ports: New York and Cape Town
Port to Port Distance on the map, along real shipping lanes.
New YorkSeaCape TownShipping time from New York to Cape Town
| Route | Distance | 12 kn | 14 kn | 18 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| direct (shortest) | 6,933 nm | 24.1 d | 20.6 d | 16.0 d |
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About the New York to Cape Town shipping route
The shipping route from New York, United States to Cape Town, South Africa covers 6,933 nautical miles port to port, on a direct course. On a globe the two ports sit 12,567 km apart, so the ship sails 1.02 times the straight line distance. No canals or major straits on this leg, the ship stays close to the direct line.
Pure steaming time is 20.6 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 24.1 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 16.0. 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 New York and Cape Town to plan the full ocean transit time.
252 nm of the route, 4% 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 New York to Cape Town move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Cape Town (ZACPT) 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 New York in this directory, Cape Town is the 35th shortest. Closer destinations include Djibouti (6,488 nm), Vancouver (6,234 nm) and Seattle (6,212 nm).
FAQ
How many nautical miles from New York to Cape Town?
The port to port distance from New York to Cape Town is 6,933 nautical miles (12,840 km), direct.
What is the shipping time from New York to Cape Town?
About 20.6 days at 14 knots and 16.0 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?
252 nm sit inside ECA waters (North American ECA), where ships burn 0.1% sulphur fuel.
Is the return route the same?
The reverse route Cape Town to New York has its own page with the same distance and route.
More port to port distance
- New York to Charleston644 nm
- New York to Savannah699 nm
- New York to
Montreal1,524 nm - New York to Houston1,921 nm
- New York to
Balboa2,025 nm - New York to
Cartagena2,235 nm - Durban to Cape Town875 nm
Lagos (Apapa) to Cape Town2,619 nm
Mombasa to Cape Town2,631 nm
Santos to Cape Town3,508 nm
Buenos Aires to Cape Town3,846 nm
Salalah to Cape Town4,010 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.