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 37 days 18h. Ships depart from Felixstowe (GBFXT) 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 Felixstowe (GBFXT) and arrive into Oakland (USOAK) around 37 days 18h later. These services are operated by HMM, CMA CGM, ONE, CMA CGM, CMA CGM, HMM, COSCO, MSC and MSC.

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 58m. 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, Air Canada, American Airlines, United Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, JetBlue Airways, American Airlines and United Airlines and the typical transit time is around 10h 58m.

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 58m. UPS Airlines and FedEx 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 9,131 Kilometres (5,674 Miles). This distance is measured following typical flight paths between London City Airport (LCY) 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

2.56t 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

498kg 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	2-4 times a week	Boeing 787-9
United Airlines	2-4 times a day	Boeing 777
British Airways	1-2 times a day	Airbus A380-800+1 others
Air Canada	2-4 times a day	Boeing 777-300ER+6 others
American Airlines	1-2 times a day	Boeing 787-9+1 others
United Airlines	2-4 times a day	Boeing 767-300+4 others
United Airlines	1-2 times a week	Boeing 787-9+5 others
American Airlines	2-4 times a day	Boeing 787-9+3 others
United Airlines	Every few hours	Boeing 787-9+3 others
American Airlines	2-4 times a day	Boeing 777-300ER+3 others
Delta Air Lines	1-2 times a day	Boeing 767-400+6 others
Delta Air Lines	Daily	Airbus A330-200+2 others
American Airlines	2-4 times a day	Boeing 777-300ER+2 others
JetBlue Airways	Every 4-6 weeks	Airbus A321neo
American Airlines	1-2 times a day	Boeing 787-9+5 others
United Airlines	1-2 times a day	Boeing 787-9+7 others

More Details	See carrier information, flight schedules and estimated emissions

Operating carriers	Departure frequency	Aircraft types
KLM	Every 1-2 weeks	Embraer 190+2 others
More Details	See carrier information, flight schedules and estimated emissions

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

Service Lines	Service Type	Departure frequency	Servicing Carriers
FE6 → TA1 / AL5	Transshipment	Every 1-2 weeks	HMM, ONE, Yang Ming
FAL8 / AEU9 / LL7 → CALFB / ELSA / ATW	Transshipment	Every 1-2 weeks	CMA CGM, COSCO, OOCL
ESE2 / LUX / EEX → ELSA / AL5 / ATW	Transshipment	Every 1-2 weeks	ONE, COSCO, OOCL
FAL6 / AEU5 / LL6 → CALFB / ELSA / ATW	Transshipment	Every 1-2 weeks	CMA CGM, COSCO, OOCL
FAL8 / AEU9 / LL7 → CALFB / ELSA / ATW	Transshipment	Every 1-2 weeks	CMA CGM, COSCO, OOCL
FE6 → TA1 / AL5	Transshipment	Every 1-2 weeks	HMM, ONE, Yang Ming
FAL7 / AEU7 / NE7 / LL3 → HBB / AAC2 / CPS / PCN3	Transshipment	Every 1-2 weeks	COSCO, CMA CGM, Evergreen, OOCL
Swan → Sentosa	Transshipment	Every 1-2 weeks	MSC
Albatros → Lynx	Transshipment	Every 1-2 weeks	MSC

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

Closest airports

London City 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

Felixstowe 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