AustraliaAustraliaSydney to Melbourne shipping route.
596 nautical miles direct, about 1.8 days of steaming at 14 knots.
Sea Distance Between Ports: Sydney and Melbourne
Port to Port Distance on the map, along real shipping lanes.
SydneySeaMelbourneShipping time from Sydney to Melbourne
| Route | Distance | 12 kn | 14 kn | 18 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| direct (shortest) | 596 nm | 2.1 d | 1.8 d | 1.4 d |
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About the Sydney to Melbourne shipping route
Sydney to Melbourne is a 596 nautical mile shipping route on a direct course, heading south west from Australia to Australia. That is 1,103 km of water against 715 km as the crow flies. No canals on this leg, the extra miles come from sailing around headlands and islands.
Pure steaming time is 1.8 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 2.1 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 1.4. 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 Sydney and Melbourne to plan the full ocean transit time.
Container freight rates on Sydney to Melbourne move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Melbourne (AUMEL) carriers give about 8 free days before demurrage and detention charges start, so plan the truck or rail pickup before the box lands.
Of the 65 port to port routes from Sydney in this directory, Melbourne is the shortest. It is the closest port to Sydney we cover.
FAQ
How many nautical miles from Sydney to Melbourne?
The port to port distance from Sydney to Melbourne is 596 nautical miles (1,103 km), direct.
What is the shipping time from Sydney to Melbourne?
About 1.8 days at 14 knots and 1.4 days at 18 knots of steaming, without port calls. Scheduled liner services add calls and transhipment.
Is the return route the same?
The reverse route Melbourne to Sydney has its own page with the same distance and route.
More port to port distance
- Sydney to
Auckland1,284 nm - Sydney to
Tanjung Priok3,932 nm - Sydney to
Manila3,938 nm - Sydney to
Singapore4,223 nm - Sydney to
Kaohsiung4,356 nm - Sydney to
Yokohama4,363 nm - Auckland to Melbourne1,683 nm
- Tanjung Priok to Melbourne3,475 nm
- Singapore to Melbourne3,936 nm
Port Klang to Melbourne4,193 nm- Manila to Melbourne4,495 nm
Ho Chi Minh City to Melbourne4,520 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.