United StatesUnited StatesSeattle to Los Angeles shipping route.
1,214 nautical miles direct, about 3.6 days of steaming at 14 knots.
Sea Distance Between Ports: Seattle and Los Angeles
Port to Port Distance on the map, along real shipping lanes.
SeattleSeaLos AngelesShipping time from Seattle to Los Angeles
| Route | Distance | 12 kn | 14 kn | 18 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| direct (shortest) | 1,214 nm | 4.2 d | 3.6 d | 2.8 d |
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About the Seattle to Los Angeles shipping route
Seattle to Los Angeles is a 1,214 nautical mile shipping route on a direct course, heading south from the United States to the United States. That is 2,248 km of water against 1,581 km as the crow flies. No canals on this leg, the extra miles come from sailing around headlands and islands.
Pure steaming time is 3.6 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 4.2 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 2.8. 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 Seattle and Los Angeles to plan the full ocean transit time.
1,214 nm of the route, 100% 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 Los Angeles move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Los Angeles (USLAX) 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, Los Angeles is the 2nd shortest. Closer destinations include Oakland (879 nm).
FAQ
How many nautical miles from Seattle to Los Angeles?
The port to port distance from Seattle to Los Angeles is 1,214 nautical miles (2,248 km), direct.
What is the shipping time from Seattle to Los Angeles?
About 3.6 days at 14 knots and 2.8 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?
1,214 nm sit inside ECA waters (North American ECA), where ships burn 0.1% sulphur fuel.
Is the return route the same?
The reverse route Los Angeles to Seattle has its own page with the same distance and route.
More port to port distance
- Seattle to Oakland879 nm
- Seattle to
Manzanillo2,498 nm - Seattle to
Balboa4,188 nm - Seattle to
Yokohama4,300 nm - Seattle to Tokyo4,311 nm
- Seattle to
Cartagena4,515 nm - Oakland to Los Angeles385 nm
Vancouver to Los Angeles1,235 nm- Manzanillo to Los Angeles1,284 nm
- Balboa to Los Angeles2,974 nm
- Cartagena to Los Angeles3,301 nm
Callao to Los Angeles3,654 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.