Ocean Shipping Times: Transit Time Estimator

Origin portDestination port

Type a port name, then pick it from the list. Schedules can be checked only for a port chosen from the list.

Door-to-door: the five stages of an ocean shipment

The estimator covers stage 3, the ocean leg. The other stages depend on your shipper, your entry and your delivery point, so we describe them rather than invent a day count.

1
Origin pickup and drayage quoted per shipment
Collection from the shipper and the truck run to the load port or CFS (the warehouse where LCL cargo is consolidated). Timing depends on distance inland, equipment availability and the terminal appointment, so we quote it per shipment. Book it against the carrier cut-off, not the sailing date.
2
Export clearance and cut-offs quoted per shipment
The export declaration, documents, and the VGM (verified gross mass) and gate cut-offs ahead of the sailing. Cut-offs typically fall several days before ETD and vary by carrier and terminal. Missing one rolls the container to the next sailing — the single most common reason a lane runs long.
3
Ocean transit (port to port) pick a port pair above
The sailing itself, from ETD at the load port to ETA at the discharge port. This is the only stage we put a number on, and that number is typical and schedule-dependent: it shifts with the service string, the number of transshipments and congestion at either end.
4
US import clearance and release quoted per shipment
ISF filing before loading, then entry and release once the vessel arrives. A clean entry filed in advance often clears around arrival; an exam, a PGA (partner government agency) hold or a classification query adds time no schedule can predict. Airlift coordinates clearance through our licensed broker network.
5
Terminal release and final delivery quoted per shipment
The container becomes available at the terminal; then chassis, appointment, and the drayage or line-haul to the consignee. Free time at the terminal runs out, so book the delivery appointment before the vessel berths, not after.

Where the numbers come from

The estimator asks the same carrier sailing-schedule feed behind the Airlift vessel schedule search for every departure on your port pair over the next four weeks. The fastest, typical and slowest figures are calculated from those sailings and nothing else. If the carrier reports a transit length, we use it; if it reports only an ETD and an ETA, we count the days between them.

You get a range, not one number, because one number would be misleading. On a busy lane the fastest and slowest services can be two weeks apart: one sails direct, the other transships through a hub. Averaging them gives a figure that matches no real sailing, so the tool shows the spread and how many of the sailings are direct.

Sometimes the feed returns nothing: an off-peak lane, a port it doesn't cover, or a temporary outage. Then the tool falls back to the transit ranges published on the Airlift lane guides — P10 to P90 bands drawn from our own shipment history. The result always says which source it used. If neither covers your pair, it says so instead of guessing.

Why transit times vary on the same lane

Routing matters most. A direct service sails port to port. A transshipment routing unloads your container at a hub to wait for a connecting vessel, which typically adds a week or more — and another chance for a missed connection. The estimator shows the transshipment count the carrier declares for each sailing.

Next comes the service string: the sequence of ports a vessel calls at. Two carriers can serve the same lane with very different rotations, and a string that stops at four ports before yours will always be slower than one that runs straight across. Season matters too — the run-up to Lunar New Year and the pre-holiday peak both squeeze schedules and lengthen queues.

Then there is what no schedule can see: terminal congestion at either end, blank (canceled) sailings, weather routing and canal restrictions. Carrier schedule reliability across the industry has run well short of full in recent years. That is why we show a range and call it schedule-dependent instead of printing a date.

Port-to-port vs. door-to-door

This tool measures the ocean leg only: ETD at the load port to ETA at the discharge port. A door-to-door plan adds four stages around it — origin pickup and drayage, export clearance and cut-offs, US import clearance and release, and final delivery. The timeline above walks through each one.

We don't put day counts on those stages on purpose. Origin drayage depends on how far inland the shipper is and whether equipment is available. Clearance depends on your entry, your classification and whether CBP or a partner government agency takes a closer look. A made-up range would make your plan look more precise than it is. Ask us and we will quote them for your actual shipment.

The most useful planning habit: work backward from the carrier cut-off, not the sailing date. Documentation, VGM and gate cut-offs fall days before ETD. A container that misses one waits for the next sailing — on a weekly service, that is a week lost before the ocean leg even starts.

Transit ranges for Airlift's published lanes

177 port pairs across 15 lanes, from our shipping-route guides. Choose "Use this pair" to see a range on the timeline. These listed planning ranges are not guaranteed durations. Confirm the current routing and sailing schedule when requesting a quote. Source: Airlift lane pages, reviewed 2026-10-06.

Bangladesh to USA

Origin port	Destination port	Typical transit (P10–P90)
Chittagong	Baltimore	46–55 days
Chittagong	Long Beach	48–58 days
Chittagong	Los Angeles	47–57 days
Chittagong	New York	45–54 days

Belgium to USA

Origin port	Destination port	Typical transit (P10–P90)
Antwerp	Houston	20–28 days
Antwerp	New York	12–18 days
Antwerp	Norfolk	14–20 days

Brazil to USA

Origin port	Destination port	Typical transit (P10–P90)
Vitória	Houston	38–57 days
Vitória	New York	36–60 days
Vitória	Port Everglades	31–64 days
Vitória	Savannah	51–62 days

Cambodia to USA

Origin port	Destination port	Typical transit (P10–P90)
Phnom Penh	Columbus	36–45 days
Phnom Penh	Long Beach	22–32 days
Phnom Penh	Los Angeles	24–34 days
Phnom Penh	New York	38–48 days
Sihanoukville	Columbus	38–47 days
Sihanoukville	Long Beach	36–43 days
Sihanoukville	Los Angeles	35–42 days

China to USA

Origin port	Destination port	Typical transit (P10–P90)
Ningbo	Houston	29–40 days
Ningbo	Long Beach	14–22 days
Ningbo	Los Angeles	13–26 days
Ningbo	New York	35–47 days
Ningbo	Oakland	17–22 days
Qingdao	Long Beach	18–24 days
Qingdao	New York	34–42 days
Shanghai	Houston	28–38 days
Shanghai	Long Beach	11–19 days
Shanghai	Los Angeles	12–22 days
Shanghai	New York	32–45 days
Shanghai	Oakland	20–35 days
Shenzhen	Houston	30–42 days
Shenzhen	Long Beach	19–33 days
Shenzhen	Los Angeles	18–32 days
Shenzhen	New York	35–48 days

India to Canada

Origin port	Destination port	Typical transit (P10–P90)
Chennai	Halifax	32–45 days
Ennore	Montreal	48–64 days
Ennore	Saint John	45–55 days
Kolkata	Halifax	39–59 days
Kolkata	Vancouver	41–76 days
Mundra	Halifax	38–55 days
Mundra	Montreal	35–66 days
Mundra	Vancouver	47–67 days
Nhava Sheva	Montreal	42–66 days
Nhava Sheva	Vancouver	46–66 days

India to Mexico

Origin port	Destination port	Typical transit (P10–P90)
Mundra	Altamira	52–68 days

India to USA

Origin port	Destination port	Typical transit (P10–P90)
Chennai	Charleston	46–73 days
Chennai	Houston	44–73 days
Chennai	Long Beach	40–57 days
Chennai	Los Angeles	37–54 days
Chennai	New York	41–63 days
Chennai	Norfolk	40–64 days
Chennai	Oakland	44–63 days
Chennai	Savannah	54–70 days
Chennai	Seattle	47–63 days
Cochin	Baltimore	38–53 days
Cochin	New York	35–51 days
Cochin	Norfolk	41–56 days
Cochin	Port Everglades	68–88 days
Cochin	Savannah	42–55 days
Ennore	Baltimore	42–67 days
Ennore	Boston	48–67 days
Ennore	Charleston	43–53 days
Ennore	Houston	45–80 days
Ennore	Jacksonville	65–100 days
Ennore	Miami	60–78 days
Ennore	New York	35–48 days
Ennore	Newark	35–48 days
Ennore	Norfolk	39–58 days
Ennore	Savannah	46–57 days
Ennore	Seattle	39–82 days
Ennore	Tacoma	55–69 days
Hazira	Newark	38–46 days
Hazira	Norfolk	52–76 days
Kattupalli	Jacksonville	44–82 days
Kattupalli	Long Beach	39–70 days
Kattupalli	Los Angeles	29–52 days
Kattupalli	New York	40–70 days
Kattupalli	Seattle	55–74 days
Kolkata	Charleston	56–68 days
Kolkata	Houston	54–88 days
Kolkata	Jacksonville	47–64 days
Kolkata	Long Beach	44–67 days
Kolkata	Los Angeles	38–58 days
Kolkata	New York	43–64 days
Kolkata	Norfolk	42–75 days
Kolkata	Oakland	45–73 days
Kolkata	Savannah	49–72 days
Mangalore	Norfolk	46–58 days
Mangalore	Tacoma	53–68 days
Mundra	Baltimore	40–55 days
Mundra	Boston	40–74 days
Mundra	Charleston	38–47 days
Mundra	Houston	44–66 days
Mundra	Jacksonville	36–60 days
Mundra	Long Beach	41–60 days
Mundra	Los Angeles	40–61 days
Mundra	Miami	36–69 days
Mundra	New York	30–39 days
Mundra	Newark	35–42 days
Mundra	Norfolk	31–40 days
Mundra	Oakland	47–70 days
Mundra	Port Everglades	43–78 days
Mundra	Savannah	35–45 days
Mundra	Seattle	44–65 days
Mundra	Tacoma	42–56 days
Nhava Sheva	Baltimore	35–64 days
Nhava Sheva	Charleston	35–47 days
Nhava Sheva	Houston	40–57 days
Nhava Sheva	Long Beach	39–56 days
Nhava Sheva	Los Angeles	37–56 days
Nhava Sheva	New York	32–40 days
Nhava Sheva	Newark	30–34 days
Nhava Sheva	Norfolk	36–43 days
Nhava Sheva	Oakland	42–63 days
Nhava Sheva	Port Everglades	43–78 days
Nhava Sheva	Savannah	36–45 days
Pipavav	Baltimore	49–58 days
Pipavav	Houston	39–46 days
Pipavav	Los Angeles	34–45 days
Pipavav	Newark	31–35 days
Pipavav	Oakland	39–62 days
Pipavav	Savannah	36–41 days
Tuticorin	Charleston	45–58 days
Tuticorin	New York	35–47 days
Tuticorin	Norfolk	41–58 days
Tuticorin	Savannah	42–58 days

Indonesia to USA

Origin port	Destination port	Typical transit (P10–P90)
Jakarta	Houston	35–43 days
Jakarta	Long Beach	31–37 days
Jakarta	Los Angeles	30–36 days
Jakarta	New York	38–48 days
Surabaya	Houston	36–44 days
Surabaya	Los Angeles	32–38 days
Surabaya	New York	40–50 days

Italy to USA

Origin port	Destination port	Typical transit (P10–P90)
Genoa	Houston	20–30 days
Genoa	New York	14–21 days
Genoa	Norfolk	15–22 days
Livorno	Houston	22–33 days
Livorno	New York	15–24 days

Thailand to USA

Origin port	Destination port	Typical transit (P10–P90)
Bangkok	Los Angeles	30–37 days
Bangkok	New York	37–48 days
Laem Chabang	Houston	33–41 days
Laem Chabang	Long Beach	29–35 days
Laem Chabang	Los Angeles	28–34 days
Laem Chabang	New York	36–45 days
Laem Chabang	Norfolk	46–57 days

USA to China

Origin port	Destination port	Typical transit (P10–P90)
Houston	Ningbo	32–42 days
Houston	Shanghai	30–40 days
Houston	Shenzhen	35–45 days
Los Angeles	Ningbo	18–27 days
Los Angeles	Shanghai	16–25 days
Los Angeles	Shenzhen	20–30 days
New York	Ningbo	36–48 days
New York	Shanghai	35–45 days

USA to India

Origin port	Destination port	Typical transit (P10–P90)
Houston	Chennai	34–50 days
Houston	Mundra	33–48 days
Houston	Nhava Sheva	32–45 days
Los Angeles	Mundra	38–50 days
Los Angeles	Nhava Sheva	36–48 days
New York	Chennai	32–40 days
New York	Mundra	30–38 days
New York	Nhava Sheva	28–36 days

USA to Vietnam

Origin port	Destination port	Typical transit (P10–P90)
Houston	Hai Phong	35–42 days
Houston	Ho Chi Minh	32–40 days
Los Angeles	Hai Phong	30–36 days
Los Angeles	Ho Chi Minh	28–34 days
New York	Hai Phong	37–48 days
New York	Ho Chi Minh	35–45 days

Vietnam to USA

Origin port	Destination port	Typical transit (P10–P90)
Cai Mep	Los Angeles	22–27 days
Cai Mep	New York	34–43 days
Hai Phong	Houston	34–42 days
Hai Phong	Los Angeles	30–36 days
Hai Phong	New York	36–46 days
Hai Phong	Norfolk	42–60 days
Ho Chi Minh	Houston	32–40 days
Ho Chi Minh	Long Beach	28–35 days
Ho Chi Minh	Los Angeles	28–34 days
Ho Chi Minh	New York	35–45 days

More free shipping tools

Sealanes: services and sailings by lane →Port code finder (UN/LOCODE) →Airport code finder (IATA/ICAO) →Chargeable weight calculator →Container load calculator →Ocean freight rates and quotes →US tariff simulator →

New to the terms? The glossary explains what a transit time covers, how the container yard (CY) cut-off decides which sailing you catch, and when demurrage charges start at the other end.

Terms on this page:Transshipment Drayage Verified Gross Mass (VGM)Full Container Load (FCL)Less than Container Load (LCL)

Ocean transit time FAQs

How accurate is this ocean transit-time estimator?

It is as current as the carriers' own schedules. The range comes from live sailing schedules for your port pair — real services with real ETDs and ETAs — not a rule of thumb. It is still an estimate: schedules slip with congestion, blank sailings and weather, so treat the figure as typical and schedule-dependent, never guaranteed.

Why do carriers on the same lane show such different transit times?

Does the transit time include customs clearance and delivery?

Where do the transit numbers come from?

Is LCL slower than FCL on the same lane?

What should I do about the carrier cut-off?

Which port code should I use when booking?

Can Airlift book the sailings this tool shows?

Sources: live ranges are calculated from carrier-published sailing schedules returned by the Airlift vessel schedule feed at the time of your search. Fallback ranges are the P10–P90 bands on the Airlift shipping-route lane guides, drawn from Airlift shipment history (lane pages reviewed 2026-10-06). Port names and codes come from the UNECE UN/LOCODE Code List, edition 2024-2. Transit times are typical and schedule-dependent, and are never guaranteed.

Get sailings and a quote for your port pair

Tell us the port pair and when the cargo needs to arrive. We will confirm what is sailing, quote the ocean freight and the door legs, and flag the cut-offs to plan around. Airlift USA is a licensed NVOCC with direct carrier contracts on the major US trade lanes; customs clearance is coordinated through our licensed broker network.

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Ocean Shipping Times: Transit Time Estimator

Door-to-door: the five stages of an ocean shipment

Origin pickup and drayage quoted per shipment

Export clearance and cut-offs quoted per shipment

Ocean transit (port to port) pick a port pair above

US import clearance and release quoted per shipment

Terminal release and final delivery quoted per shipment