Sea distance from Shanghai to Hong Kong
The sea route from Shanghai (China) to Hong Kong (Hong Kong) is about 864 nautical miles, which is 1,600 km or 994 statute miles. That is about 31% 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) | 7d 5h |
| Sailboat, average (6 kn) | 6d 0h |
| Displacement trawler (8 kn) | 4d 12h |
| Fast trawler (10 kn) | 3d 14h |
| Planing motor yacht (15 kn) | 2d 10h |
| Fast motor yacht (20 kn) | 1d 19h |
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 Shanghai to Hong Kong 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 Hong Kong from Shanghai by sea?
About 864 nautical miles (1,600 km / 994 statute miles) along the practical sea route. The straight-line distance is shorter, but boats follow coastlines, channels, and traffic lanes.
How long does it take to sail from Shanghai to Hong Kong?
At a typical sailing average of 6 knots it is about 6d 0h underway. A 10-knot trawler needs about 3d 14h, and a 20-knot motor yacht about 1d 19h. 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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