Ports & Routes
Global Port Intelligence
| Path | Records | Actual median | P25–P75 range | TS dwell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| via Yantian | 266 | 53.7d | 52.4–55.4 d | 5.0d |
| Direct | 26 | 53.4d | 51.4–55.9 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 53.4 days. This is based on 15 containers tracked end-to-end on this exact direct path.
Most containers arrive within 51.4–55.9 days (P25–P75 of 292 tracked records on this lane). Plan with this range, not a single number.
The shipping distance from Vung Tau to Houston is approximately 11,727 nautical miles (21,719 km).
MSC line operates direct service on this lane in our tracked dataset.
Yes. Tracked transshipment options include: Yantian (53.7d total, 266 records).
Approximately 60.8 days door-to-door. The median gate-in dwell at Vung Tau is 4.0 days. Vessel sail time from Vung Tau to Houston is 53.4 days. The median gate-out dwell at Houston is 3.4 days.
Container shipping from Vung Tau to Houston spans approximately 11,727 nautical miles, equivalent to 21,719 kilometres of sea route. Our tracked dataset for this lane includes 292 records across qualifying paths. Of those, 15 containers were tracked end-to-end on the direct path (literally booked from Vung Tau to Houston with no transshipment). The median sail time on direct service is 53.4 days. Most shipments arrive within 51.4 to 55.9 days, the P25–P75 range covering the middle half of observed transits.
The typical door-to-door figure is 60.8 days. Median gate-in dwell at Vung Tau is 4.0 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 Vung Tau to Houston is 53.4 days. Median gate-out dwell at Houston is 3.4 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 26 leg-level observations on the direct segment. Of those, 15 were containers literally booked direct from Vung Tau to Houston and tracked end-to-end on this exact path. MSC operates the dominant tracked direct service. Containers carried by Maersk also traversed this corridor without an intermediate transshipment, generally as sub-segments of longer journeys. On the direct segment, the median sail time is 53.4 days, and the P25–P75 range runs from 51.4 to 55.9 days.
One transshipment alternative is present in the dataset. The Yantian-routed path takes a median of 53.7 days based on 266 records, with a P25–P75 range of 52.4 to 55.4 days. Median dwell at the hub terminal on this path is 5.0 days.
For planning purposes, treat the 51.4 to 55.9 day P25–P75 range as the realistic arrival window for direct service. About half of all observed direct shipments fell within that 4.5-day spread. When committing door-to-door dates to consignees, account for an additional 4.0 days of gate-in dwell at Vung Tau and 3.4 days of gate-out dwell at Houston on top of the chosen sail time.