Shipping Route Planner & Distance Calculator

The Shipping Route Planner lets you estimate the sea freight distance and sailing time between any two major ports. Pick a load port and a discharge port, choose your vessel’s average speed, and the tool returns the great-circle distance in nautical miles and kilometres, plus an estimated voyage duration. It is a quick way to compare routes and sanity-check freight quotes.

Because real ocean routes follow shipping lanes and canals, the tool provides a solid estimate and clearly notes that actual distances can differ. It runs entirely in your browser.

• Load & discharge ports: Pick any two ports from the built-in world list.
• Great-circle distance: Results in nautical miles and kilometres.
• Sailing time: Estimate based on your chosen vessel speed.
• Port & canal delay allowance: Add typical delay time to the estimate.
• Searchable port list: Type to filter by name or country.
• Report-only export: Print or save a PDF with the route summary.
• Free and private: All processing stays in your browser.

1. Select the load port — the origin of the shipment.
2. Select the discharge port — the destination.
3. Set the average vessel speed in knots (default about 18).
4. Optionally add a delay allowance for ports and canals.
5. Review the distance and estimated sailing time.
6. Export the route summary — the print/PDF output contains only the summary.

Example – Shanghai to Rotterdam: A forwarder compares Shanghai (CNSHA) to Rotterdam (NLRTM). The great-circle distance is about 9,650 km (5,210 nm). At 18 knots that is roughly 12 days of sailing, before canal and port delays. The tool shows this in seconds.

Example – Los Angeles to Singapore: Los Angeles (USLAX) to Singapore (SGSIN) is about 14,120 km (7,620 nm), about 17.6 days at 18 knots, highlighting why transpacific + transhipment routes are common.

• Compare routes fast: Estimate distance and time between any two ports.
• Check freight quotes: Sanity-check the mileage behind a quotation.
• Plan vessel speed: See how speed affects arrival time.
• Account for delays: Add a realistic allowance for ports and canals.
• Clean output: Export only the route summary for your file.
• 100% free and private: No sign-up, runs locally.