Sea distance from Houston to Mombasa
The sea route from Houston (United States) to Mombasa (Kenya) is about 9,827 nautical miles, which is 18,200 km or 11,309 statute miles. The route transits Strait of Gibraltar and Suez Canal and Bab-el-Mandeb. That is about 26% longer than the direct great-circle line, because the practical route follows coastlines and shipping lanes.
Voyage time by boat speed
Time underway is distance divided by speed. These are continuous-passage figures with no stops or weather margin.
| Boat and speed | Time underway |
|---|---|
| Sailboat, conservative (5 kn) | 81d 21h |
| Sailboat, average (6 kn) | 68d 6h |
| Displacement trawler (8 kn) | 51d 4h |
| Fast trawler (10 kn) | 40d 23h |
| Planing motor yacht (15 kn) | 27d 7h |
| Fast motor yacht (20 kn) | 20d 11h |
Planning estimate, not navigation
This distance is computed over the open Eurostat shipping-lane network. It is a realistic passage length for planning, but your sailed distance will differ with weather routing, currents, draft, and the exact berths you leave from and arrive at. Always verify against official charts.
Building with these numbers? The sea route & distance API returns this figure, voyage time, and route geometry for any port pair in one GET request.
Plan this passage properly
Open Houston to Mombasa in the Marine OS route planner: it suggests the sea route, then you drag waypoints, set your speed and fuel burn, and check weather and tides along the way.
Open this route in the plannerFrequently asked questions
How far is Mombasa from Houston by sea?
About 9,827 nautical miles (18,200 km / 11,309 statute miles) along the practical sea route, which transits Strait of Gibraltar and Suez Canal and Bab-el-Mandeb. The straight-line distance is shorter, but boats follow coastlines, channels, and traffic lanes.
How long does it take to sail from Houston to Mombasa?
At a typical sailing average of 6 knots it is about 68d 6h underway. A 10-knot trawler needs about 40d 23h, and a 20-knot motor yacht about 20d 11h. Add margin for weather, currents, and stops.
How is this distance calculated?
It is computed over the open Eurostat global shipping-lane network, the same kind of network freight routing tools use. It is a realistic planning estimate, not a navigation product: your sailed distance will vary with weather routing, draft, and the exact harbors you use.
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