Port-to-port sea distance

Rotterdam to Houston distance

The sea distance from Rotterdam (Netherlands) to Houston (United States) is about 5,013 nautical miles (9,284 km), via the Dover Strait. At 12 knots that is about 17 days 10 hours at sea.

Distance

5,013 nm

9,284 km

Sea days @ 12 kn

17.4

17 days 10 hours

ECA miles

2,398 nm

48% of the route

Canals & straits

Dover Strait

Run the TCE free See on map

Sea days by speed

Speed	One way	Round voyage
10 knots	20.9 days	41.8 days
11 knots	19.0 days	38.0 days
12 knots	17.4 days	34.8 days
13 knots	16.1 days	32.1 days
14 knots	14.9 days	29.8 days
15 knots	13.9 days	27.8 days

Steaming time only, with no allowance for weather, canal waiting or port time. The round voyage assumes the ship ballasts back on the same route.

Routes compared

Shortest route

5,013 nm

17.4 days at 12 kn · Dover Strait · 2,398 nm in ECA

See it on the map

Voyage estimates by ship size

About this trade

North-west Europe clean products. Gasoline and blendstocks from the Amsterdam–Rotterdam–Antwerp hub to the US East Coast and West Africa, the classic MR transatlantic.

Typical ship sizes: MR, LR1
Related benchmark routes: TC2 (UKC–USAC MR)

Questions

How far is Rotterdam from Houston by sea?

The sea distance from Rotterdam to Houston is about 5,013 nautical miles (9,284 km), via the Dover Strait.

How long does a tanker take to sail from Rotterdam to Houston?

About 17 days 10 hours at 12 knots, or 14.9 days at 14 knots. That is steaming time only; add time for port calls, canal transits and weather.

Which canals and straits does the Rotterdam–Houston route pass?

The shortest route passes the Dover Strait.

How much of the voyage is inside an Emission Control Area?

About 2,398 nm, or 48% of the voyage, is inside an ECA, where ships must burn 0.10% sulphur fuel or use a scrubber.

Terms on this page

Distances are calculated by Vessbook on a modelled global shipping-lane network for a tanker at 12 m draft, from berth area to berth area.