SEA DISTANCE · FOR OFFICERS, MASTERS AND CHARTERERS
Rotterdam to Houston by sea
The sea distance from Rotterdam to Houston is 5,048 nautical miles, about 15 days at 14 knots. The straight line across the globe is only 4,334 nm, but ships cannot sail over land.
Days at sea
Time under way only: add port, canal and anchorage time to plan the ETA.
| Speed | Days at sea |
|---|---|
| 10 knots | 21 |
| 12 knots | 18 |
| 14 knots | 15 |
| 16 knots | 13 |
| 20 knots | 11 |
Canals and straits on the way
In the order the ship meets them: Strait of Dover → Straits of Florida.
Zones on the route
Miles of this voyage inside each area, measured on the planned route.
| Area | Type | Miles inside |
|---|---|---|
| N. American ECA (Atlantic/Gulf) | Emission Control Area | 1,946 nm |
| North Sea SOx+NOx ECA | Emission Control Area | 392 nm |
| Wider Caribbean (MARPOL Annex V Special Area) | MARPOL Special Area | 1,116 nm |
| NW European waters (MARPOL Special Area) | MARPOL Special Area | 556 nm |
| North Sea (MARPOL Annex V Special Area) | MARPOL Special Area | 392 nm |
Emission Control Areas: the ECA guide. Piracy and war-risk areas: the piracy map.
Questions about Rotterdam to Houston
How far is Rotterdam from Houston by sea?
5,048 nautical miles (9,348 km), pilot station to pilot station, on real shipping lanes. The straight line across the globe is 4,334 nm, but a ship cannot sail over land, so the sea route is 16% longer.
How many days does a ship take from Rotterdam to Houston?
About 18 days at 12 knots, 15 days at 14 knots or 11 days at 20 knots. That is time at sea only, with no port, canal or anchorage waiting.
Which canals and straits are on the route from Rotterdam to Houston?
In order: Strait of Dover and Straits of Florida.
How many miles of the voyage are inside Emission Control Areas?
2,338 nm, in N. American ECA (Atlantic/Gulf) and North Sea SOx+NOx ECA. Inside an ECA the fuel must carry no more than 0.10% sulphur, unless the ship uses an approved alternative such as a scrubber.
Does the route from Rotterdam to Houston pass through piracy or war-risk areas?
Not on this route as of the date on this page: it crosses no ITF/IBF warlike area, JWC listed area or piracy hotspot that NaviBoss draws.
Which NAVAREAs does the voyage pass through?
NAVAREA I and NAVAREA IV. Keep the in-force navigational warnings of each.
How this distance is worked out
NaviBoss routes on a network of professional shipping lanes that keeps right through traffic separation schemes. The distance runs from the pilot boarding place at Rotterdam (Maas Center Buoy (Maascenter)) to the one at Houston (Houston), the same figure the planner gives for the two ports. Distances are great-circle nautical miles along that network. Seasonal Arctic routes are left out.
The same voyage the other way, Houston to Rotterdam, is the same distance.
More sea distances
- Rotterdam to Singapore8,414 nm
- Rotterdam to Shanghai10,594 nm
- Rotterdam to Hong Kong9,835 nm
- Rotterdam to Busan10,906 nm
- Rotterdam to Mumbai6,462 nm
- Rotterdam to Colombo6,867 nm
- All sea distances
Plan it with your own ship
Open the planner, pick Rotterdam and Houston, set your speed and departure: you get the ETA, every waypoint and the route file for your ECDIS. Free with an account.
Plan this voyage →About our guides
NaviBoss guides are written and checked by maritime industry experts, masters and deck officers. Each one is built from the same data the planner uses, dated, and rebuilt when that data changes. Spotted something wrong? Tell us on the feedback board.
A planning aid, not for navigation. Check official charts and publications, the latest notices and your company's instructions before you rely on any figure here.