# 53 ft Container Dimensions

Source: https://contsize.com/53-ft-container/ · CC BY 4.0 · checked 2026-10-19

A 53 ft container measures 16.154 × 2.591 × 2.896 m outside (53′ × 8′6″ × 9′6″) and about 16.017 × 2.515 × 2.781 m inside (52′6½″ × 8′3″ × 9′1½″) — no ISO standard covers it, and builders differ: the 7 published sheets print 15,951–16,027 mm long, 2,489–2,540 mm wide and 2,718–2,781 mm high inside. That is roughly 111.8 m³ on 40.3 m² (434 ft²) of floor. It matches a 53 ft US road trailer and takes about 30 US pallets two abreast. [Tare](https://contsize.com/glossary/tare-weight/) is around 5,230 kg (11,530 lb); it is the standard of North American domestic [intermodal](https://contsize.com/glossary/intermodal/), not an ocean box.

![Measured drawing of a 53 ft container: 16.154 × 2.591 × 2.896 m outside, 16.017 × 2.515 × 2.781 m inside.](https://contsize.com/figures/53ft-container-dimensions-drawing-en.png)

**The numbers in this chart**

*53 ft container dimensions drawing: outside, inside, door and floor*

| Measure | Metric | Imperial |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Length outside | 16,154 mm | 53′ |
| Width outside | 2,591 mm | 8′6″ |
| Height outside | 2,896 mm | 9′6″ |
| Length inside | 16,017 mm | 52′6½″ |
| Width inside | 2,515 mm | 8′3″ |
| Height inside | 2,781 mm | 9′1½″ |
| Door width | 2,489 mm | 8′2″ |
| Door height | 2,718 mm | 8′11″ |
| Floor area | 40.3 m² | 434 ft² |
| Volume | 111.8 m³ | 3,948 ft³ |
| Tare (empty) | 5,230 kg | 11,530 lb |
| Payload | 25,250 kg | 55,667 lb |
| Max gross | 30,480 kg | 67,197 lb |
| EUR pallets, one tier (counted) | 40 | — |
| US pallets, one tier (counted) | 30 | — |

Checked 19 October 2026: no ISO standard covers this size; every figure against 8 published sheets of 8 lines, makers and rail and road operators. A sheet agrees within ±5 mm, or ±2 % for a mass and ±1 % for a volume; a maximum gross is a rating and must be the same. [Every figure and its sources](https://contsize.com/container-data-sources/#c-53ft)

*53 ft container dimensions drawing: outside, inside, door and floor*

## 53 ft container: dimensions and weight

*53 ft container*

|  | Metric | Imperial |
| --- | --- | --- |
| External dimensions |  |  |
| Length | 16.154 m | 53′ |
| Width | 2.591 m | 8′6″ |
| Height | 2.896 m | 9′6″ |
| Internal dimensions |  |  |
| Length | 16.017 m | 52′6½″ |
| Width | 2.515 m | 8′3″ |
| Height | 2.781 m | 9′1½″ |
| Door opening |  |  |
| Width | 2.489 m | 8′2″ |
| Height | 2.718 m | 8′11″ |
| Specification |  |  |
| Tare weight | 5,230 kg | 11,530 lb |
| Max gross weight | 30,480 kg | 67,197 lb |
| Max payload | 25,250 kg | 55,667 lb |
| Capacity (volume) | 111.8 m³ | 3,948 ft³ |
| Pallets (one tier, counted on the floor) | 40 EUR · 30 US |  |

Checked 19 October 2026: no ISO standard covers this size; every figure against 8 published sheets of 8 lines, makers and rail and road operators. A sheet agrees within ±5 mm, or ±2 % for a mass and ±1 % for a volume; a maximum gross is a rating and must be the same. [Every figure and its sources](https://contsize.com/container-data-sources/#c-53ft)

Machine-readable: [/data/containers.json](https://contsize.com/data/containers.json) · closest published sheet: Trailer Bridge, 8 of 10 figures

Data: CN, Crowley, J.B. Hunt, Sea Box, STG, TOTE, Trailer Bridge, Union Pacific

[Compare every size in one chart](https://contsize.com/shipping-container-dimensions-chart/)

![Scale plan view of a 53 ft container: 40 Euro pallets (1200 × 800 mm) in a single tier on a 16.017 × 2.515 m floor.](https://contsize.com/figures/53ft-container-pallet-layout-en.png)

*40 EUR pallets in one tier, counted on the floor — 53 ft container, top view Drawn to scale*

![Bar chart placing the 53 ft container (111.8 m³, 25,250 kg payload) among the seven container lengths from 10 to 53 ft.](https://contsize.com/figures/53ft-container-volume-and-payload-en.png)

**The numbers in this chart**

*53 ft container: volume and payload against every other size*

| Size | Volume | Max payload |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [10 ft container](https://contsize.com/10-ft-container/) | 15.9 m³ · 562 ft³ | 8,860 kg · 19,533 lb |
| [20 ft container](https://contsize.com/20-ft-container/) | 33.2 m³ · 1,172 ft³ | 28,250 kg · 62,281 lb |
| [40 ft container](https://contsize.com/40-ft-container/) | 67.7 m³ · 2,391 ft³ | 28,800 kg · 63,493 lb |
| [40 ft high cube container](https://contsize.com/40-ft-high-cube-container/) | 76.4 m³ · 2,698 ft³ | 28,670 kg · 63,207 lb |
| [45 ft high cube container](https://contsize.com/45-ft-container/) | 86.0 m³ · 3,037 ft³ | 27,850 kg · 61,399 lb |
| [48 ft container](https://contsize.com/48-ft-container/) | 97.6 m³ · 3,447 ft³ | 25,530 kg · 56,284 lb |
| 53 ft container | 111.8 m³ · 3,948 ft³ | 25,250 kg · 55,667 lb |

Checked 19 October 2026: the figures in this chart against 42 of 88 published sheets from 27 lines, lessors, makers and rail and road operators: those that print these figures. A sheet agrees within ±5 mm, or ±2 % for a mass and ±1 % for a volume; a maximum gross is a rating and must be the same. [Every figure and its sources](https://contsize.com/container-data-sources/)

*53 ft container: volume and payload against every other size*

## What a 53 ft container is used for

The 53 ft container is the North American domestic box sized to match the 53 ft road trailer, so freight moves between rail and highway without re-handling. Externally it runs 16.154 m long, 2.591 m (102″) wide and 2.896 m (9′6″) high.

Like the 48-footer it is a domestic, non-ISO size: built for double-stack rail cars and US/Canadian roads, not for deep-sea cell guides, and no ISO standard sets its dimensions. A handful of carriers have trialled 53 ft units on ocean lanes, but they remain a rarity outside North America.

Doors open to about 2.489 m wide × 2.718 m high — as wide as the 48 ft’s, 13 cm taller, but 3 cm narrower and 6 cm lower than the inside: the door, not the interior, limits what goes in. Construction differs from ocean boxes too: most 53s are lighter-gauge steel or steel-aluminium hybrids, built for rail and road loads rather than for stacking in a ship’s hold, which is one reason they stay on land.

The size has effectively won the domestic intermodal market: railroads price around it, truckload freight converts to it one-for-one, and new-build domestic containers are almost exclusively 53 ft. If you are comparing against the 48, the 53 carries about 15% more cube for the same rail slot.

## What fits in a 53 ft container

Around 111.8 m³ — 46% more than a 40 ft high cube. The 2.515 m internal width takes US pallets two abreast, for roughly 30 pallet positions in a single tier.

As with all domestic equipment, road weight limits govern: US federal law caps the whole truck — tractor, chassis, box and cargo — at 80,000 lb (36,287 kg), per 23 CFR 658.17, so the cargo it takes on the road stays well below the box’s structural rating of 30,480 kg gross.

The one-for-one match with a 53 ft dry van trailer is the design brief made steel: same floor count (about 30 two-abreast US pallet positions), same cube class, so a shipper can move truckload freight to rail without touching the load plan. That is what “domestic intermodal” means in practice.

On the secondary market, retired 53s are prized for their sheer floor area — about 40.3 m² with ceilings up to 2.781 m, more floor than any other size on this site. They suit barns, workshops and warehouses; just note that trucking a 16.154 m box needs a specialised chassis and generous site access.

## 53 ft vs 40 ft high cube

*53 ft vs 40 ft high cube*

|  | 53 ft container | [40 ft high cube container](https://contsize.com/40-ft-high-cube-container/) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ISO type code | — | 45G1 |
| External dimensions — Length | 16.154 m53′ | 12.192 m40′ |
| External dimensions — Width | 2.591 m8′6″ | 2.438 m8′ |
| External dimensions — Height | 2.896 m9′6″ | 2.896 m9′6″ |
| Internal dimensions — Length | 16.017 m52′6½″ | 12.032 m39′5½″ |
| Internal dimensions — Width | 2.515 m8′3″ | 2.352 m7′8½″ |
| Internal dimensions — Height | 2.781 m9′1½″ | 2.698 m8′10″ |
| Tare weight | 5,230 kg11,530 lb | 3,830 kg8,444 lb |
| Max gross weight | 30,480 kg67,197 lb | 32,500 kg71,650 lb |
| Max payload | 25,250 kg55,667 lb | 28,670 kg63,207 lb |
| Capacity (volume) | 111.8 m³3,948 ft³ | 76.4 m³2,698 ft³ |
| EUR pallets | 40 | 25 |
| TEU | — | 2 |

Checked 19 October 2026: the outside sizes of the ISO boxes set by ISO 668, read in IS 6566:2001, GOST R 51876-2008 and GOST R 53350-2009; the US domestic boxes, which no ISO standard covers, and every other figure against 25 published sheets of 25 lines, lessors, makers and rail and road operators. A sheet agrees within ±5 mm, or ±2 % for a mass and ±1 % for a volume; a maximum gross is a rating and must be the same. [Every figure and its sources](https://contsize.com/container-data-sources/)

Data: [ISO 668 (1995 text, read in IS 6566:2001)](https://contsize.com/citations/#iso-668) · [CMA CGM Equipment Guide](https://contsize.com/citations/#cma-specs) · [Evergreen Container Specifications](https://contsize.com/citations/#evergreen-specs) · [Hapag-Lloyd Container Specifications](https://contsize.com/citations/#hapag-specs) · [Maersk Container Specifications](https://contsize.com/citations/#maersk-specs) · [ONE Container Specifications](https://contsize.com/citations/#one-specs) · [Singamas product range](https://contsize.com/citations/#singamas-products) · CN, COSCO, Crowley, HMM, J.B. Hunt, Matson, MSC, OOCL, Sea Box, Seaco, SeaCube, STG, Textainer, TOTE, Trailer Bridge, Triton, Union Pacific, Yang Ming, ZIM

## Frequently asked questions

**What are the dimensions of a 53 ft container?**

A 53 ft container is 16.154 × 2.591 × 2.896 m outside (53′ × 8′6″ × 9′6″), the length per all 6 sheets, and about 16.017 × 2.515 × 2.781 m inside (52′6½″ × 8′3″ × 9′1½″), with about 111.8 m³ of capacity. No ISO standard covers the size, and the inside varies by builder: 15,951–16,027 mm long, 2,489–2,540 mm wide and 2,718–2,781 mm high on the published sheets.

**How much does a 53 ft container weigh?**

An empty 53 ft container weighs about 5,230 kg (11,530 lb) — sheets print 4,536–5,375 kg, since no standard fixes it and builders use different steels. Structural [max gross](https://contsize.com/glossary/max-gross/) is around 30,480 kg (per 3 of 4 sheets), but on US roads the whole truck — tractor, chassis, box and cargo — may weigh no more than 80,000 lb (36,287 kg), per 23 CFR 658.17, so the road limit, not the box, sets the [payload](https://contsize.com/glossary/payload/).

**What are the door dimensions of a 53 ft container?**

The end-door opening of a 53 ft container is about 2.489 m wide × 2.718 m high (98″ × 107″) — the width per 6 of 8 sheets, the height sheets print 2,646–2,781 mm. That is wider and taller than ISO container doors, sized to pass two-abreast pallet loads and wide machinery.

**How much does a 53 ft container cost?**

Named US dealers ask $4,900 for a [cargo-worthy](https://contsize.com/glossary/cargo-worthy/) used 53 ft container (Worthy Container) and $8,299–12,999 for wind-and-watertight units (Conex Depot), read 18 October 2026, delivery extra. It is a regional North American market — plentiful near rail hubs, scarce elsewhere — so prices vary heavily by location and condition.

**How many square meters (square feet) is a 53 ft container?**

A 53 ft container has about 40.3 m² (434 ft²) of internal floor — 16.017 m long by 2.515 m wide (52′6½″ × 8′3″); the published sheets differ, printing 15,951–16,027 mm long and 2,489–2,540 mm wide. That is more floor than any other size on this site, comparable to a small one-bedroom apartment.

**How many pallets fit in a 53 ft container?**

About 30 US pallets (48″ × 40″) in a single floor tier, loaded two abreast in the 2.515 m (8′3″) wide interior.

**Why do 53 ft containers exist?**

To make intermodal freight match trucking: a 53 ft box carries the same load as the standard US semi-trailer, so shippers can switch between rail and road without repacking.

## Related pages

- [48 ft container14.630 × 2.591 × 2.896 m · 97.6 m³](https://contsize.com/48-ft-container/)
- [Storage container sizes8 · 10 · 16 · 20 · 40 · 45 · 48 · 53 ft](https://contsize.com/storage-container-sizes/)
- [Pallets in a 40 ft container25 EUR · 21 GMA · one tier](https://contsize.com/pallets-in-40-ft-container/)
- [Container size chart (all 17)17 containers · Metric and imperial · Prints on one sheet](https://contsize.com/shipping-container-dimensions-chart/)