Sea distance from Los Angeles to Apapa
The sea route from Los Angeles (United States) to Apapa (Nigeria) is about 8,255 nautical miles, which is 15,289 km or 9,500 statute miles. The route transits Panama Canal. That is about 23% 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) | 68d 19h |
| Sailboat, average (6 kn) | 57d 8h |
| Displacement trawler (8 kn) | 43d 0h |
| Fast trawler (10 kn) | 34d 10h |
| Planing motor yacht (15 kn) | 22d 22h |
| Fast motor yacht (20 kn) | 17d 5h |
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 Los Angeles to Apapa 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 Apapa from Los Angeles by sea?
About 8,255 nautical miles (15,289 km / 9,500 statute miles) along the practical sea route, which transits Panama Canal. The straight-line distance is shorter, but boats follow coastlines, channels, and traffic lanes.
How long does it take to sail from Los Angeles to Apapa?
At a typical sailing average of 6 knots it is about 57d 8h underway. A 10-knot trawler needs about 34d 10h, and a 20-knot motor yacht about 17d 5h. 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.
Related sea distances