Port-to-port sea distance

Rotterdam to Philadelphia distance

The sea distance from Rotterdam (Netherlands) to Philadelphia (United States) is about 3,420 nautical miles (6,333 km), via the Dover Strait. At 12 knots that is about 11 days 21 hours at sea.

Distance

3,420 nm

6,333 km

Sea days @ 12 kn

11.9

11 days 21 hours

ECA miles

1,191 nm

35% 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	14.2 days	28.5 days
11 knots	13.0 days	25.9 days
12 knots	11.9 days	23.7 days
13 knots	11.0 days	21.9 days
14 knots	10.2 days	20.4 days
15 knots	9.5 days	19.0 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

3,420 nm

11.9 days at 12 kn · Dover Strait · 1,191 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 Philadelphia by sea?

The sea distance from Rotterdam to Philadelphia is about 3,420 nautical miles (6,333 km), via the Dover Strait.

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

About 11 days 21 hours at 12 knots, or 10.2 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–Philadelphia route pass?

The shortest route passes the Dover Strait.

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

About 1,191 nm, or 35% 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.