Ship Canal Length Comparison (Kilometers)
Compare 12 ship canal lengths in km: Grand Canal 1776, Suez 193.3, Kiel 98.6, Panama 82, Houston 80 and Corinth 6.34, with canal authority table sources.
Visual comparison
All values
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| Name | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suez Canal No locks. Opened 1869, expanded 2015. | 193.3 kilometers | Port Said to Suez, Egypt, sea level waterway | Suez Canal Authority FAQ: 193.30 km; Britannica 193 km |
| Panama Canal Figure 82 standard. Authority rounds to about 80 km. | 82 kilometers | Atlantic to Pacific, Panama, lock canal | Britannica Panama Canal: 82 km; Structurae 81.5 km |
| Kiel Canal Alternate chainage figure 98.26 km in federal tables. | 98.6 kilometers | Brunsbuttel to Kiel-Holtenau, Germany | German Federal Waterways brochure: 98.6 km |
| Corinth Canal Commonly rounded to 6.3 or 6.4 km. Value 6.34 equals 6,340 m. | 6.34 kilometers | Saronic Gulf to Gulf of Corinth, Greece | Corinth Canal S.A. brochure: 6,343 m; Britannica 6.3 km |
| Grand Canal, Beijing to Hangzhou 1776 standard Jing-Hang figure. Britannica rounds to about 1800. | 1,776 kilometers | Beijing to Hangzhou, China, Jing-Hang main stem | Grand Canal China specs: 1,776 km; UNESCO system over 2,000 km |
| Erie Canal, original Modern Barge Canal is shorter at about 565 km. Uses original. | 584 kilometers | Albany to Buffalo, New York, USA, original 1825 route | Britannica Erie Canal: 584 km, 363 miles; NY Comptroller report |
| Volga-Don Canal Includes 45 km through rivers and reservoirs. | 101 kilometers | Kalach-na-Donu to Krasnoarmeysk, Russia | Britannica Volga-Don Canal: 101 km; Russian waterway note 13 locks |
| White Sea-Baltic Canal Only 37 km is fully man made. Rest uses lakes and rivers. | 227 kilometers | Lake Onega to White Sea, Russia | Britannica White Sea-Baltic Canal: 227 km; Guinness Records 227 km |
| Manchester Ship Canal 36 miles converts to 57.9 km, rounded to 58 km. | 58 kilometers | Eastham to Manchester, England | Peel Ports Manchester Ship Canal: 36 mile seaway; ICE 58 km |
| Houston Ship Channel 50 miles converts to 80.5 km, rounded to 80 km. | 80 kilometers | Gulf of Mexico to Port of Houston, Texas, USA | ASCE historic landmark note: 50 mile channel; TxDOT profile |
| Rhine-Main-Danube Canal Completed 1992. Connects North Sea to Black Sea system. | 171 kilometers | Bamberg to Kelheim, Germany | Britannica Main-Danube Canal: 171 km; Federal Waterways 170.71 km |
| Gota Canal 87 km is dug. Rest passes through lakes. | 190 kilometers | Sjotorp to Mem, Sweden | Gota Kanal official site: 190 km, 87 km excavated canal |
About this converter
Ship canal lengths run from 6.34 to 1,776 km here, which makes every waterway easy to compare. The Corinth Canal measures 6.34 km, while the Grand Canal in China measures 1,776. That means one Grand Canal equals 280 Corinth canals. Every figure on this page is a published length from canal authority pages, Britannica entries and government waterway tables. Suez at 193.3 km and Panama at 82 km are the main interoceanic routes, sea level against locks. Historical lengths are noted where modern routes differ, including Erie and Houston. Only 37 km of the White Sea-Baltic route is fully man made.
How to use it
Pick two canals and a unit in the top row. The three boxes below stay linked: one holds a count of the first length, one the matching count of the second, one the distance in the chosen unit. Change any box and the other two update. Try 1 Grand Canal against Corinth to feel the longest versus shortest gap, or stack Suez canals against Panama.
Corinth at 6.34 km has no locks, often rounded to 6.3 or 6.4. Kiel reads 98.6 with 98.26 in some tables. Panama reads 82 standard with about 80 on authority pages. Volga-Don includes 45 km through rivers and reservoirs with 13 locks. Rhine-Main-Danube completed 1992 at 171. Gota stretches 190 with 87 dug. Manchester converts 36 miles to 57.9, rounded to 58. Erie uses the original 1825 length of 584 against 565 modern.
FAQ
Which canal is longest in this list?
The Grand Canal at 1776 km. It runs from Beijing to Hangzhou.
Which canal is shortest in this list?
The Corinth Canal at 6.34 km. It crosses the Isthmus of Corinth.
Which canals have no locks?
The Suez Canal has no locks. The Corinth Canal has no locks.
Why do Erie Canal lengths differ in sources?
The original 1825 canal was 363 miles or 584 km. The modern Barge Canal is shorter at about 351 miles.
Sources
- Canal authority pages (Suez, Panama, German Waterways, Gota Kanal)
- Britannica entries (Suez, Panama, Erie, Volga-Don, White Sea-Baltic, Main-Danube)
- Government reports (NY Comptroller Erie; TxDOT Houston; ICE Manchester)
Last verified: 2026-10-04 · 12 entries
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