United StatesUnited StatesOakland to Houston shipping route.
4,911 nautical miles via Panama Canal, about 14.6 days of steaming at 14 knots.
Sea Distance Between Ports: Oakland and Houston
Port to Port Distance on the map, along real shipping lanes.
OaklandPanama CanalHoustonShipping time from Oakland to Houston
| Route | Distance | 12 kn | 14 kn | 18 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| via Panama Canal (shortest) | 4,911 nm | 17.1 d | 14.6 d | 11.4 d |
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About the Oakland to Houston shipping route
The shipping route from Oakland, United States to Houston, United States covers 4,911 nautical miles port to port, via Panama Canal. On a globe the two ports sit 2,641 km apart, so the ship sails 3.44 times the straight line distance. On the way the vessel passes Panama Canal, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.
Pure steaming time is 14.6 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 17.1 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 11.4. 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 Oakland and Houston to plan the full ocean transit time.
790 nm of the route, 16% 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 Oakland 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 Oakland in this directory, Houston is the 10th shortest. Closer destinations include Tokyo (4,582 nm), Yokohama (4,571 nm) and Callao (4,040 nm).
FAQ
How many nautical miles from Oakland to Houston?
The port to port distance from Oakland to Houston is 4,911 nautical miles (9,096 km), via Panama Canal. The route passes Panama Canal.
What is the shipping time from Oakland to Houston?
About 14.6 days at 14 knots and 11.4 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?
790 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 Oakland has its own page with the same distance and route.
More port to port distance
- Oakland to Los Angeles385 nm
- Oakland to Seattle879 nm
- Oakland to
Vancouver901 nm - Oakland to
Manzanillo1,669 nm - Oakland to
Balboa3,359 nm - Oakland to
Cartagena3,687 nm - Savannah to Houston1,370 nm
- Charleston to Houston1,401 nm
- Balboa to Houston1,552 nm
- Cartagena to Houston1,765 nm
- New York to Houston1,921 nm
Callao to Houston2,939 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.