United StatesUnited StatesNew York to Houston shipping route.
1,921 nautical miles direct, about 5.7 days of steaming at 14 knots.
Sea Distance Between Ports: New York and Houston
Port to Port Distance on the map, along real shipping lanes.
New YorkSeaHoustonShipping time from New York to Houston
| Route | Distance | 12 kn | 14 kn | 18 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| direct (shortest) | 1,921 nm | 6.7 d | 5.7 d | 4.4 d |
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About the New York to Houston shipping route
The shipping route from New York, United States to Houston, United States covers 1,921 nautical miles port to port, on a direct course. On a globe the two ports sit 2,275 km apart, so the ship sails 1.56 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 5.7 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 6.7 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 4.4. 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 Houston to plan the full ocean transit time.
1,711 nm of the route, 89% 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 Houston move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Houston (USHOU) 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 New York in this directory, Houston is the 4th shortest. Closer destinations include Montreal (1,524 nm), Savannah (699 nm) and Charleston (644 nm).
FAQ
How many nautical miles from New York to Houston?
The port to port distance from New York to Houston is 1,921 nautical miles (3,558 km), direct.
What is the shipping time from New York to Houston?
About 5.7 days at 14 knots and 4.4 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?
1,711 nm sit inside ECA waters (North American ECA), where ships burn 0.1% sulphur fuel.
Is the return route the same?
The reverse route Houston 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
Balboa2,025 nm - New York to
Cartagena2,235 nm - New York to
Le Havre3,129 nm - Savannah to Houston1,370 nm
- Charleston to Houston1,401 nm
- Balboa to Houston1,552 nm
- Cartagena to Houston1,765 nm
Callao to Houston2,939 nm
Manzanillo to Houston3,242 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.