United States
ChinaSeattle to Shanghai shipping route.
5,144 nautical miles direct, about 15.3 days of steaming at 14 knots.
Sea Distance Between Ports: Seattle and Shanghai
Port to Port Distance on the map, along real shipping lanes.
SeattleSeaShanghaiShipping time from Seattle to Shanghai
| Route | Distance | 12 kn | 14 kn | 18 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| direct (shortest) | 5,144 nm | 17.9 d | 15.3 d | 11.9 d |
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Live numbers for this lane from Navo apps, updated 2026-10-31.
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About the Seattle to Shanghai shipping route
Seattle to Shanghai is a 5,144 nautical mile shipping route on a direct course, heading north west from the United States to China. That is 9,526 km of water against 9,171 km as the crow flies. No canals or major straits on this leg, the ship stays close to the direct line.
At sea, the voyage lasts 17.9 days at 12 knots, 15.3 days at 14 knots and 11.9 days at 18 knots. Liner schedules on the lane quote 11 to 52 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 61 sailings by 6 carriers (CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, Hapag-Lloyd and MSC).
548 nm of the route, 11% 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.
Recent freight rates for USSEA to CNSHA start at $5,791 for a 20GP and $8,046 for a 40GP. These are spot market prices from carriers that sail the lane; your quote will also include terminal handling, documentation and any bunker surcharge. At Shanghai (CNSHA) carriers give about 6 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, Shanghai is the 11th shortest. Closer destinations include Incheon (5,110 nm), Callao (4,868 nm) and Busan (4,675 nm).
FAQ
How many nautical miles from Seattle to Shanghai?
The port to port distance from Seattle to Shanghai is 5,144 nautical miles (9,526 km), direct.
What is the shipping time from Seattle to Shanghai?
About 15.3 days at 14 knots and 11.9 days at 18 knots of steaming, without port calls. Scheduled liner services on this lane quote 11 to 52 days.
What are freight rates from Seattle to Shanghai?
Recent spot rates for USSEA to CNSHA start at $5,791 per 20GP and $8,046 per 40GP, before local charges. Rates change weekly.
How much of the route is in an emission control area?
548 nm sit inside ECA waters (North American ECA), where ships burn 0.1% sulphur fuel.
Is the return route the same?
The reverse route Shanghai to Seattle has its own page with the same distance and route.
More port to port distance
- Seattle to Oakland879 nm
- Seattle to Los Angeles1,214 nm
- Seattle to
Manzanillo2,498 nm - Seattle to
Balboa4,188 nm - Seattle to
Yokohama4,300 nm - Seattle to Tokyo4,311 nm
- Qingdao to Shanghai410 nm
Busan to Shanghai469 nm- Incheon to Shanghai538 nm
- Dalian to Shanghai553 nm
- Xiamen to Shanghai589 nm
Kaohsiung to Shanghai635 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.