Australia
United StatesSydney to Seattle shipping route.
6,897 nautical miles direct, about 20.5 days of steaming at 14 knots.
Sea Distance Between Ports: Sydney and Seattle
Port to Port Distance on the map, along real shipping lanes.
SydneySeaSeattleShipping time from Sydney to Seattle
| Route | Distance | 12 kn | 14 kn | 18 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| direct (shortest) | 6,897 nm | 23.9 d | 20.5 d | 16.0 d |
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About the Sydney to Seattle shipping route
The shipping route from Sydney, Australia to Seattle, United States covers 6,897 nautical miles port to port, on a direct course. On a globe the two ports sit 12,472 km apart, so the ship sails 1.02 times the straight line distance. No canals or major straits on this leg, the ship stays close to the direct line.
Pure steaming time is 20.5 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 23.9 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 16.0. 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 Seattle to plan the full ocean transit time.
775 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.
Container freight rates on Sydney to Seattle move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Seattle (USSEA) carriers give about 3.94 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, Seattle is the 32nd shortest. Closer destinations include Salalah (6,838 nm), Mombasa (6,812 nm) and Karachi (6,693 nm).
FAQ
How many nautical miles from Sydney to Seattle?
The port to port distance from Sydney to Seattle is 6,897 nautical miles (12,773 km), direct.
What is the shipping time from Sydney to Seattle?
About 20.5 days at 14 knots and 16.0 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?
775 nm sit inside ECA waters (North American ECA), where ships burn 0.1% sulphur fuel.
Is the return route the same?
The reverse route Seattle to Sydney has its own page with the same distance and route.
More port to port distance
- Sydney to Melbourne596 nm
- 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 - Oakland to Seattle879 nm
- Los Angeles to Seattle1,214 nm
Manzanillo to Seattle2,498 nm
Balboa to Seattle4,188 nm
Yokohama to Seattle4,300 nm- Tokyo to Seattle4,311 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.