Seattle to Charleston shipping route.

Seattle to Charleston is a 5,795 nautical mile shipping route via Panama Canal, heading east from the United States to the United States. That is 10,733 km of water against 3,900 km as the crow flies. On the way the vessel passes Panama Canal, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

At sea, the voyage lasts 20.1 days at 12 knots, 17.3 days at 14 knots and 13.4 days at 18 knots. 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 Seattle and Charleston to plan the full ocean transit time.

1,634 nm of the route, 28% 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 Seattle to Charleston move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Charleston (USCHS) 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 64 port to port routes from Seattle in this directory, Charleston is the 18th shortest. Closer destinations include Houston (5,740 nm), Kaohsiung (5,571 nm) and Xiamen (5,566 nm).