Canada
United StatesVancouver to Los Angeles shipping route.
1,235 nautical miles direct, about 3.7 days of steaming at 14 knots.
Sea Distance Between Ports: Vancouver and Los Angeles
Port to Port Distance on the map, along real shipping lanes.
VancouverSeaLos AngelesShipping time from Vancouver to Los Angeles
| Route | Distance | 12 kn | 14 kn | 18 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| direct (shortest) | 1,235 nm | 4.3 d | 3.7 d | 2.9 d |
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About the Vancouver to Los Angeles shipping route
Ships leaving Vancouver for Los Angeles head south and cover a sea distance of 1,235 nautical miles (2,288 km), on a direct course. The straight line between the ports is 1,776 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. No canals on this leg, the extra miles come from sailing around headlands and islands.
Shipping time depends on speed. At 14 knots, a common container ship service speed, the passage takes 3.7 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 4.3 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 2.9. 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 Vancouver and Los Angeles to plan the full ocean transit time.
1,235 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 Vancouver 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 Vancouver in this directory, Los Angeles is the 2nd shortest. Closer destinations include Oakland (901 nm).
FAQ
How many nautical miles from Vancouver to Los Angeles?
The port to port distance from Vancouver to Los Angeles is 1,235 nautical miles (2,288 km), direct.
What is the shipping time from Vancouver to Los Angeles?
About 3.7 days at 14 knots and 2.9 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?
1,235 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 Vancouver has its own page with the same distance and route.
More port to port distance
- Vancouver to Oakland901 nm
- Vancouver to
Manzanillo2,520 nm - Vancouver to
Balboa4,209 nm - Vancouver to
Yokohama4,321 nm - Vancouver to Tokyo4,332 nm
- Vancouver to
Cartagena4,537 nm - Oakland to Los Angeles385 nm
- Seattle to Los Angeles1,214 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.