Oakland to Mombasa shipping route.

The shipping route from Oakland, United States to Mombasa, Kenya covers 11,562 nautical miles port to port, via Strait of Malacca. On a globe the two ports sit 15,837 km apart, so the ship sails 1.35 times the straight line distance. On the way the vessel passes Strait of Malacca.

Pure steaming time is 34.4 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 40.1 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 26.8. 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 Mombasa to plan the full ocean transit time.

The next option is via Sunda Strait, 11,862 nautical miles, 301 nm longer than the main route. Carriers pick it when Sunda Strait is congested or closed.

348 nm of the route, 3% 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 Mombasa move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one.

Of the 65 port to port routes from Oakland in this directory, Mombasa is the 65th shortest. Closer destinations include Djibouti (11,029 nm), Jebel Ali (10,939 nm) and Salalah (10,822 nm).