Seattle to Jeddah shipping route.

Seattle to Jeddah is a 11,198 nautical mile shipping route via Suez Canal, heading north from the United States to Saudi Arabia. That is 20,738 km of water against 12,113 km as the crow flies. On the way the vessel passes Suez Canal, Panama Canal and Strait of Gibraltar, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

Pure steaming time is 33.3 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 38.9 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 25.9. 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 Jeddah to plan the full ocean transit time.

The next option is via Strait of Malacca, 11,554 nautical miles, 357 nm longer than the main route. Carriers pick it when Bab-el-Mandeb is congested or closed.

3,350 nm of the route, 30% of it, lies inside North American ECA, US Caribbean Sea ECA and Mediterranean Sea 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 Jeddah move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Jeddah (SAJED) carriers give about 7 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, Jeddah is the 62nd shortest. Closer destinations include Djibouti (10,943 nm), Cape Town (10,771 nm) and Jebel Ali (10,667 nm).