How Long Are the Largest Ocean Freighters? The Rise of Megaships

Modern container ships have grown dramatically. The largest classes now exceed 400 meters (1,312 ft) in length:

• Megamax-24 / Ultra Large Container Vessels (ULCV): 399–400 m (e.g., MSC Irina, OOCL Spain, Ever Alot).
• Capacity: 24,000+ TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units).
• Beam: ~61 m (Panamax limit was 32.2 m; these are "post-Panamax" and "post-Suezmax").
• Draft: ~16 m, limiting port access.

For comparison: a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is 333 m; the Empire State Building is 381 m to roof. These ships carry ~200,000 tons of cargo, serving Asia-Europe and transpacific routes. Ports require dredging, larger cranes, and reinforced berths to handle them.