Seattle to Houston shipping route.

Seattle to Houston is a 5,740 nautical mile shipping route via Panama Canal, heading south east from the United States to the United States. That is 10,630 km of water against 3,047 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.

Pure steaming time is 17.1 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 19.9 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 13.3. 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 Houston to plan the full ocean transit time.

1,619 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 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 64 port to port routes from Seattle in this directory, Houston is the 17th shortest. Closer destinations include Kaohsiung (5,571 nm), Xiamen (5,566 nm) and Dalian (5,219 nm).