Panama Canal: distances and routes

The Panama Canal links the Atlantic and the Pacific, saving the long way round South America. Here are the distances through it for busy port pairs.

Through Panama or the long way

The table below shows, for busy port pairs, the distance through the Panama Canal and the distance of the route without it, with the days at sea saved.

Route	Through the Panama Canal	Without the canal	Extra distance	Extra days at 14 kn
Shanghai to New York	10,576 NM	12,338 NM	+1,762 NM	+5.2
Shanghai to Savannah	10,159 NM	12,837 NM	+2,678 NM	+8.0
Ningbo to Savannah	10,221 NM	12,876 NM	+2,655 NM	+7.9
Yantian to Savannah	10,446 NM	12,520 NM	+2,074 NM	+6.2
Busan to New York	10,146 NM	12,688 NM	+2,542 NM	+7.6
Busan to Savannah	9,730 NM	13,187 NM	+3,457 NM	+10.3
Qingdao to New York	10,614 NM	12,627 NM	+2,013 NM	+6.0
Tokyo to New York	9,767 NM	13,102 NM	+3,335 NM	+9.9
Los Angeles to New York	4,984 NM	13,066 NM	+8,082 NM	+24.1
Los Angeles to Savannah	4,568 NM	13,004 NM	+8,436 NM	+25.1
Rotterdam to Los Angeles	7,808 NM	13,416 NM	+5,608 NM	+16.7
Hamburg to Los Angeles	8,116 NM	13,726 NM	+5,610 NM	+16.7
Felixstowe to Los Angeles	7,732 NM	13,342 NM	+5,610 NM	+16.7
New York to Sydney	9,798 NM	12,938 NM	+3,140 NM	+9.3

Transit time

A transit of the canal takes around 8 to 10 hours, plus any waiting for a slot. The Container Voyage Estimator adds the transit to the leg, and you can enter your own arrival and transit time.

Panama Canal tolls in your voyage cost

The estimator prices the transit from the Panama Canal Authority's tariff for your vessel's size and TEU, and adds it to the voyage cost.

Untick Panama in the calculator to see any route without the canal.

Compare routes in the free calculator

Panama Canal, answered.

How long does a Panama Canal transit take?

Around 8 to 10 hours, plus any waiting time for a transit slot.

Panama Canal: distances and routes

Through Panama or the long way

Transit time

Panama Canal tolls in your voyage cost

See also

Panama Canal, answered.