Question 1

How long does it take to ship a container from London to San Francisco by sea?

Accepted Answer

The shortest shipping time by sea between London and San Francisco is 40 days 10h. Ships depart from Southampton (GBSOU) and arrive at Oakland (USOAK) with scheduled departures Every 1-2 weeks.

Question 2

How regularly do container ships travel between London and San Francisco?

Accepted Answer

There are scheduled container ships that depart every 1-2 weeks from Southampton (GBSOU) and arrive into Oakland (USOAK) around 40 days 10h later. These services are operated by ONE, ONE, ONE, OOCL, CMA CGM, ONE and CMA CGM.

Question 3

How long does it take to send cargo from London to San Francisco by air freight?

Accepted Answer

The quickest flight from London to San Francisco takes around 10h 57m. Flights depart from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and arrive at San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

Question 4

How often do planes fly between London and San Francisco?

Accepted Answer

Scheduled flights between London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) depart every few hours. These flights are serviced by Virgin Atlantic, United Airlines, British Airways, American Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, American Airlines, American Airlines and United Airlines and the typical transit time is around 10h 57m.

Question 5

Do dedicated cargo planes (freighters) fly between London and San Francisco?

Accepted Answer

Yes there are dedicated cargo planes that fly regular scheduled services between London and San Francisco. Cargo flights depart from London Stansted Airport (STN) and arrive at Metropolitan Oakland International Airport (OAK) with departures 2-4 times a week and a average flight time of around 18h 41m. FedEx and UPS Airlines operates  on this route.

Question 6

What is the distance between London to San Francisco by ship?

Accepted Answer

The distance between London and San Francisco by cargo ship is 9,245 Nautical Miles (17,122 Kilometres / 10,639 Miles). This distance is measured by sea between Tilbury (GBTIL) and Oakland (USOAK).

Question 7

What is the distance between London to San Francisco by air?

Accepted Answer

The distance between London and San Francisco by air is around 8,626 Kilometres (5,360 Miles). This distance is measured following typical flight paths between London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

Question 8

How much CO2 is produced when transporting a shipping container from London to San Francisco by sea?

Accepted Answer

2.34t CO₂e (per TEU) is the estimated emissions output (CO2e) when transporting a typical shipping container (1 TEU) from London to San Francisco. This is calculated using the overall historical emissions of the average container ship on this trade lane and dividing it by the total projected capacity.

Question 9

How much CO2 is produced when sending cargo by air from London to San Francisco?

Accepted Answer

378kg CO₂e (per 100kg) is the estimated emissions output (CO2e) when sending cargo by air from London to San Francisco. This is calculated by determining the total fuel burn output of various aircraft that typically fly this route and dividing it by the total available cargo capacity in KGs.

Operating carriers	Departure frequency	Aircraft types
Virgin Atlantic	1-2 times a day	Boeing 787-9
United Airlines	2-4 times a day	Boeing 787-9+1 others
British Airways	1-2 times a day	Airbus A380-800+1 others
American Airlines	2-4 times a day	Boeing 787-9+2 others
United Airlines	Every 1-2 days	Boeing 787-9+5 others
American Airlines	2-4 times a day	Boeing 787-9+3 others
United Airlines	1-2 times a day	Boeing 767-300+3 others
American Airlines	1-2 times a day	Boeing 787-9+1 others
United Airlines	2-4 times a day	Boeing 787-9+3 others
American Airlines	2-4 times a day	Boeing 787-9+2 others
American Airlines	2-4 times a day	Boeing 777-300ER+2 others
Delta Air Lines	Every 1-2 days	Airbus A330-200+2 others
JetBlue Airways	Every 4-6 weeks	Airbus A321neo
American Airlines	1-2 times a day	Boeing 777-300ER+2 others
American Airlines	1-2 times a day	Boeing 787-9+3 others
United Airlines	1-2 times a day	Boeing 787-9+3 others

More Details	See carrier information, flight schedules and estimated emissions

Operating carriers	Departure frequency	Aircraft types
FedExFreighter	1-2 times a week	Boeing 777-200F Freighter+2 others
UPS AirlinesFreighter	1-2 times a week	Boeing 767-300 Freighter
More Details	See carrier information, flight schedules and estimated emissions

Service Lines	Service Type	Departure frequency	Servicing Carriers
CALFB / ELSA / TA1 / AL5 / ATW	Direct	Every 1-2 weeks	ONE, CMA CGM, COSCO, HMM, OOCL, Yang Ming
FP2 → TA1 / AL5	Transshipment	Every 1-2 weeks	ONE, Yang Ming, HMM
LIBERTY / TAE / AT1 / ATE1 / AL2 → CALFB / ELSA / AL5 / ATW	Transshipment	Every 1-2 weeks	ONE, CMA CGM, COSCO, OOCL, Yang Ming
GEX2 → ELSA / ATW	Transshipment	Every 1-2 weeks	OOCL, COSCO
FAL1 / AEU2 / LL4 → HBB / AAC2 / CPS / PCN3	Transshipment	Every 1-2 weeks	CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, OOCL
FE3 → PS3	Transshipment	Every 1-2 weeks	ONE, HMM, Yang Ming
FAL1 / AEU2 / LL4 → CJX / SEA2 & AWE5 / PE1 / SEAP	Transshipment	Every 1-2 weeks	CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, OOCL

More Details	See carrier information, sailing schedules and estimated emissions

Service Lines	Service Type	Departure frequency	Servicing Carriers
EURAF1 → CALFB	Transshipment	Every 1-2 weeks	CMA CGM
HLX → CALFB	Transshipment	Every 1-2 weeks	CMA CGM
More Details	See carrier information, sailing schedules and estimated emissions

London to San Francisco By Air freight, Container ship or Road

London to San Francisco by Air freight

Quickest air route

London Heathrow Airport to San Francisco International Airport

Cargo flights

London Stansted Airport to Metropolitan Oakland International Airport

London to San Francisco by Container ship

Quickest ocean route

Southampton to Oakland

Closest seaports

Tilbury to Oakland

Compare shipping modes

Air Freight

Container Ship

About Fluent Cargo

More about shipping cargo and freight from London to San Francisco by Air, Ocean and Road

Shipping from London

Shipping to San Francisco