What Are the Shipping Container Sizes? (with Illustrations)

Have you ever wanted to ship massive amounts of cargo by sea? No? Well, have you ever wondered how it’s done? It all begins with shipping containers. Speaking of which, how large are those things?

Shipping containers typically come in 2 length sizes—20 feet and 40 feet. Regular containers will measure 8 feet wide and 8.5 feet tall, while high-cube containers are 8 feet wide and 9.5 feet tall.

However, there is still so much to learn about shipping containers. In this guide, I’ll talk about various measurements of shipping containers and what they are used for.

Shipping Container Sizes

Standard shipping containers come in 2 distinct sizes—20 feet and 40 feet long. Their openings, however, are completely identical (8 × 8.5 feet).

However, there is something known as a high cube shipping container. These containers offer an additional foot in height, making them 8 feet wide and 9.5 feet tall.

High-cube shipping containers are pricier than their standard counterparts, but they offer 12% storage capacity. But their real value comes from the additional overhead space, which allows companies to stuff them with tall cargo, such as heavy machinery.

Other Shipping Container Variants

If you don’t have the means to purchase standard shipping containers, you might want to think about getting a small variant.

Shipping containers that measure shorter than 20 feet long are classified as small shipping containers, which are mainly used for transporting numerous small items. Conversely, if you’re unhappy with traditional 40-foot-long shipping containers, you can go big and purchase a 45-foot model.

Regardless of which irregular shipping container dimensions you choose, they will also have a high-cube variant.

Shipping Container Specifications

Now, let’s take a look at the measurement and capacity specifications of shipping containers.

Traditional Container Specification Chart

Size	Exterior Dimensions	Interior Dimensions	Door Size	Floor Area	Volume Capacity
Standard 20 ft.	20 × 8 × 8.5 ft.	19.25 × 7.75 × 7.8 ft.	7.25 × 7.4 ft.	149 sq. ft.	1,163 cu. ft.
High-Cube 20 ft.	20 × 8 × 9.5 ft.	19.25 × 7.75 × 8.8 ft.	7.25 × 8.7 ft.	149 sq. ft.	1,312 cu. ft.
Standard 40 ft.	40 × 8 × 8.5 ft.	39.4 × 7.75 × 7.8 ft.	7.25 × 7.4 ft.	305 sq. ft.	2,381.7 ft.
High-Cube 40 ft.	40 × 8 × 9.5 ft.	39.4 × 7.75 × 8.8 ft.	7.25 × 8.7 ft.	305 sq. ft.	2,687.1 cu. ft.

Other Container Specification Chart

Size	Exterior Dimensions	Interior Dimensions	Door Size	Floor Area	Volume Capacity
Standard 5 ft.	5 × 8 × 8.5 ft.	4.75 × 7.75 × 7.8 ft.	7.25 × 7.4 ft.	37 sq. ft.	287 cu. ft.
High-Cube 5 ft.	5 × 8 × 9.5 ft.	4.75 × 7.75 × 8.8 ft.	7.25 × 8.7 ft.	37 sq. ft.	324 cu. ft.
Standard 6 ft.	6 × 8 × 8.5 ft.	5.75 × 7.75 × 7.8 ft.	7.25 × 7.4 ft.	45 sq. ft.	348 cu. ft.
High-Cube 6 ft.	6 × 8 × 9.5 ft.	5.75 × 7.75 × 8.8 ft.	7.25 × 8.7 ft.	45 sq. ft.	392 cu. ft.
Standard 8 ft.	8 × 8 × 8.5 ft.	7.75 × 7.75 × 7.8 ft.	7.25 × 7.4 ft.	60 sq. ft.	468 cu. ft.
High-Cube 8 ft.	8 × 8 × 9.5 ft.	7.75 × 7.75 × 8.8 ft.	7.25 × 8.7 ft.	60 sq. ft.	528 cu. ft.
Standard 10 ft.	10 × 8 × 8.5 ft.	9.75× 7.75 × 7.8 ft.	7.25 × 7.4 ft.	76 sq. ft.	589 cu. ft.
High-Cube 10 ft.	10 × 8 × 9.5 ft.	9.75 × 7.75 × 8.8 ft.	7.25 × 8.7 ft.	76 sq. ft.	665 cu. ft.
Standard 15 ft.	15 × 8 × 8.5 ft.	14.75 × 7.75 × 7.8 ft.	7.25 × 7.4 ft.	114 sq. ft.	892 cu. ft.
High-Cube 15 ft.	15 × 8 × 9.5 ft.	14.75 × 7.75 × 8.8 ft.	7.25 × 8.7 ft.	114 sq. ft.	1,006 cu. ft.
Standard 25 ft.	25 × 8 × 8.5 ft.	24.75 × 7.75 × 7.8 ft.	7.25 × 7.4 ft.	192 sq. ft.	1,496 cu. ft.
High-Cube 25 ft.	25 × 8 × 9.5 ft.	24.75 × 7.75 × 8.8 ft.	7.25 × 8.7 ft.	192 sq. ft.	1,688 cu. ft.
Standard 30 ft.	30 × 8 × 8.5 ft.	29.75 × 7.75 × 7.8 ft.	7.25 × 7.4 ft.	231 sq. ft.	1,798 cu. ft.
High-Cube 30 ft.	30 × 8 × 9.5 ft.	29.75 × 7.75 × 8.8 ft.	7.25 × 8.7 ft.	231 sq. ft.	2,029 cu. ft.
Standard 45 ft.	45 × 8 × 8.5 ft.	44.75 × 7.75 × 7.8 ft.	7.25 × 7.4 ft.	344 sq. ft	2,705 cu. ft.
High-Cube 45 ft.	45 × 8 × 9.5 ft.	44.75 × 7.75 × 8.8 ft.	7.25 × 8.7 ft.	344 sq. ft.	3,028 cu. ft.

What Are Shipping Containers Used for?

A shipping container is a massive steel structure that houses cargo, mostly dry, for transport across bodies of water. The largest ships that transport shipping containers have enough space for 24,000 of them, but on average, ships will fit about 10,000 to 21,000 of them before setting sail.

As they are for storing thousands and thousands of products for overseas distribution, shipping containers can be used for all sorts of things. Here are some of the fascinating uses for old, decommissioned shipping containers:

Theaters—An empty shipping container is large enough to fit a large-screen TV on the interior side of one end. There’s plenty of space inside to seat up to and even more than a dozen people. If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your movie night, this is what you need.

Restaurants—With a partition near one end, you can fit an entire kitchen inside a shipping container. Restaurants like SnackBox and MuvBox have done just this, much to the enjoyment of their patrons.

Disaster Shelters—If you don’t have a basement to fill with nonperishables and other necessities for natural or man-made disasters, then you might want to think about turning a shipping container into a disaster shelter. Or you can convert it into temporary lodging for your fellow community members who have been hit hard by natural disasters.

Above-Ground Swimming Pool—If you were to remove the top panel of a shipping container, it would make for a great above-ground pool. Make sure you add waterproof liners to the interior of the container to prevent the clarified water from destroying the metal structure.

Garage—Here’s a neat way to utilize an old shipping container. All you have to do to turn a shipping container into a garage is cut 1 foot off the front and voila! It should be wide and tall enough to fit even a Hummer, though you won’t be able to open the doors all the way.