Comparison of Final Mile Delivery Costs Between East and West Coasts in the USA

Which is More Expensive for Final Mile Delivery in the Eastern or Western US?

In the field of international logistics, choosing the appropriate final mile delivery destination is often a key step for companies to reduce transportation costs and improve efficiency. For businesses exporting goods from China to the United States, deciding whether to ship goods to the eastern East Coast or western West Coast part of the country for distribution not only affects logistics costs but may also impact the timeliness and market competitiveness of the products. So, which is more cost-effective in practice, the East Coast or the West Coast?

First, we need to understand the basic situation that the Port of Los Angeles, located in California, belongs to the West Coast, while the Port of New York-New Jersey, located in New Jersey, belongs to the East Coast. According to the latest statistics in 2025, the Port of Los Angeles remains the busiest container terminal in the U.S., handling a large volume of imported goods from Asia. The Port of New York-New Jersey, on the other hand, benefits from its geographical advantage, becoming an important gateway to the East Coast market. Both ports have their own throughput and operational efficiencies, but for enterprises, choosing which port as the final mile delivery point requires a comprehensive consideration of various factors.

From the perspective of freight costs, generally speaking, sending goods to the West Coast tends to be slightly cheaper than to the East Coast. This is mainly due to shorter geographic distances and shorter voyage times, resulting in relatively less fuel consumption. However, this difference is not absolute; it also depends on the pricing strategies of shipping companies and the supply-demand conditions of the market at that time. For example, media reports have pointed out that in recent years, due to the worsening of supply chain bottlenecks, the West Coast ports often experience congestion, leading to price increases on some routes. By contrast, although the inland transportation distance of East Coast ports is longer, fierce competition sometimes allows them to offer more attractive price discounts during certain periods.

Besides direct transportation costs, we also need to pay attention to warehousing and distribution costs. If your target customer base is mainly concentrated in the East Coast region, choosing the East Coast may be more cost-effective. This is because warehouses closer to the consumer market can shorten the last few kilometers of delivery time and reduce additional road transfer expenses. Conversely, if the products are primarily sold to the West Coast or the central region, the West Coast obviously has more advantages. Considering procedures such as tariff declaration and customs clearance, they sometimes also affect the overall cost structure.

It should be noted that with the rapid development of the e-commerce industry, the importance of last-mile delivery services has become increasingly prominent. Large e-commerce platforms like Amazon are continuously optimizing their own logistics networks, including establishing more regional distribution centers. This means that even if one route appears cheaper on the surface, if it cannot meet the fast response needs of customers, it may lead to greater losses. Before making a decision, it is recommended to carefully evaluate the value-added services and reliability provided by each service provider.

In summary, there is no one-size-fits-all answer as to which is better suited for your company's final mile delivery needs, the East Coast or the West Coast. The best approach is to combine your own business characteristics and comprehensively analyze various indicators before drawing conclusions. At the same time, you can consult professional third-party logistics advisory teams who can often provide tailored solutions based on their extensive industry experience. In short, reasonable planning of logistics routes not only helps companies save costs but also provides better shopping experiences for customers, thereby enhancing brand loyalty.