Ports & Routes
Global Port Intelligence
| Path | Records | Actual median | P25–P75 range | TS dwell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct | 322 | 20.8d | 20.1–22.4 d | — |
All values are actuals from tracked container records. Paths flagged low n have fewer than 20 records and should be read as directional.
The median transit time is 20.8 days. This is based on 251 containers tracked end-to-end on this exact direct path.
Most containers arrive within 20.1–22.4 days (P25–P75 of 322 tracked records on this lane). Plan with this range, not a single number.
The shipping distance from Hamburg to Charleston is approximately 3,989 nautical miles (7,387 km).
Maersk line operates direct service on this lane in our tracked dataset.
No transshipment paths are present in the tracked dataset for this lane — containers observed move directly from Hamburg to Charleston.
Approximately 27.8 days door-to-door. The median gate-in dwell at Hamburg is 4.38 days. Vessel sail time from Hamburg to Charleston is 20.8 days. The median gate-out dwell at Charleston is 2.64 days.
Container shipping from Hamburg to Charleston spans approximately 3,989 nautical miles, equivalent to 7,387 kilometres of sea route. Our tracked dataset for this lane includes 322 records across qualifying paths. Of those, 251 containers were tracked end-to-end on the direct path (literally booked from Hamburg to Charleston with no transshipment). The median sail time on direct service is 20.8 days. Most shipments arrive within 20.1 to 22.4 days, the P25–P75 range covering the middle half of observed transits.
The typical door-to-door figure is 27.8 days. Median gate-in dwell at Hamburg is 4.38 days, representing the time a container spends at the origin terminal between arrival at the gate and loading onto the vessel. Vessel sail time from Hamburg to Charleston is 20.8 days. Median gate-out dwell at Charleston is 2.64 days, covering discharge and the time before pickup at the destination terminal.
Direct service — meaning no transshipment between origin and destination — is the dominant routing on this corridor. It is supported by 322 leg-level observations on the direct segment. Of those, 251 were containers literally booked direct from Hamburg to Charleston and tracked end-to-end on this exact path. Maersk operates the dominant tracked direct service. On the direct segment, the median sail time is 20.8 days, and the P25–P75 range runs from 20.1 to 22.4 days.
For planning purposes, treat the 20.1 to 22.4 day P25–P75 range as the realistic arrival window for direct service. About half of all observed direct shipments fell within that 2.3-day spread. When committing door-to-door dates to consignees, account for an additional 4.38 days of gate-in dwell at Hamburg and 2.64 days of gate-out dwell at Charleston on top of the chosen sail time.