Shipping Container Dimensions

When choosing the right type of shipping container, size makes all the difference. Whether you’re using it for storage, an office, temporary leisure facility or even a home, it’s important to get the right size. This guide breaks down the most common shipping container sizes – highlighting both internal and external measurements.

What Do I Need to Know About Container Sizes? 

Before purchasing a shipping container, it’s important to understand how container sizing actually works. Most standard shipping container sizes refer to external dimensions, with the most common being 10ft, 20ft and 30ft. However, it’s more important to look at the internal dimensions of a shipping container as this reveals the space that’s available to use.

The standard height of a shipping container is 8ft 6in, but high cube containers give an extra foot of internal space. These options are especially useful if you need extra headroom to store tall goods.

Standard External Container Dimensions (Imperial)

Container length	8ft	10ft	20ft	30ft	40ft
Container width	7 ft 1in	8ft	8ft	8ft	8ft
Container height (standard)	7 ft 5in	8ft 6in	8ft 6in	8ft 6in	8ft 6in
Container height (high cube)	–	9ft 6in	9ft 6in	9ft 6in	9ft 6in

 

Standard Internal Container Dimensions (Imperial)

Container length	8ft	10ft	20ft	30ft	40ft
Internal length	7ft 6in	9ft 2in	19ft 3in	29ft 4in	39ft 4in
Internal width	6ft 11in	7ft 7in	7ft 7in	7ft 7in	7ft 9in
Internal height (standard)	6ft 8in	7ft 9in	7ft 9in	7ft 9in	7ft 7in
Internal height (high cube)	–	8ft 9in	8ft 9in	8ft 9in	8ft 9in
End door aperture width	6ft 10in	As req.	7ft 6in	7ft 6in	7ft 6in
End door aperture height (standard)	6ft 4in	As req.	7ft 5in	7ft 5in	7ft 5in
End door aperture height (high cube)	–	As req.	8ft 5in	8ft 5in	8ft 5in
Floor area	51sq ft	72sq ft	150sq ft	227 sq ft	305sq ft
Cubic capacity (standard)	348cu ft	560 cu ft	1160 cu ft	1760 cu ft	2360 cu ft
Cubic capacity (high cube)	–	630 cu ft	1310 cu ft	1985 cu ft	2660 cu ft
Weight (tonnes)	1	1.5	2.4	3.2	4

 

Standard External Container Dimensions (Metric)

Container length	2.42m (8ft)	3.05m (10ft)	6.06m (20ft)	9.12m (30ft)	12.19m (40ft)
Container width	2.17m	2.44m	2.44m	2.44m	2.44m
Container height (standard)	2.26m	2.59m	2.59m	2.59m	2.59m
Container height (high cube)	–	2.89m	2.89m	2.89m	2.89m

 

Standard Internal Container Dimensions (Metric)

Container length	2.42m (8ft)	3.05m (10ft)	6.06m (20ft)	9.12m (30ft)	12.19m (40ft)
Internal length	2.28m	2.80m	5.87m	8.93m	12.00m
Internal width	2.10m	2.33m	2.33m	2.33m	2.33m
Internal height (standard)	2.04m	2.35m	2.35m	2.35m	2.35m
Internal height (high cube)	–	2.65m	2.65m	2.65m	2.65m
End door aperture width	2.09m	As req.	2.28m	2.28m	2.28m
End door aperture height (standard)	1.94m	As req.	2.26m	2.26m	2.26m
End door aperture height (high cube)	–	As req.	2.56m	2.56m	2.56m
Floor area	4.78m2	6.69m2	13.93m2	21.09m2	28.33m2
Cubic capacity (standard)	9.28m2	15.89m³	32.85m³	49.84m³	55.83m³
Cubic capacity (high cube)	–	17.84m³	37.09m³	56.21m³	75.32m³
Weight (tonnes)	1.02	1.52	2.44	3.25	–

 

Get a Quote for Shipping Containers with ModCon 

Here at ModCon Cabins, we’re here to help you find the perfect shipping container size for your use case. Whether you’re looking for a snug container to store a few essentials, or a larger space to act as a temporary home, we’ll help you find the right size, shape and style.

We supply a range of container sizes with custom fit-outs, to use for applications like:

• Container offices
• Container housing
• Medical centres
• Pop up shops
• Container workshops
• Changing rooms
• Construction site cabins

FAQs about the sizing of shipping containers 

What are the dimensions of a 20ft shipping container? 

A standard 20ft shipping container has external dimensions of approximately 20ft (6.06m) long, 8ft (2.44m) wide and 8ft 6in (2.59m) high.

The internal dimensions of a 20ft shipping container are roughly 19ft 3in (5.87m) long, 7ft 7in (2.33m) wide and 7ft 9in (2.35m) high.

What are the dimensions of a 10ft shipping container?

A 10ft container measures about 10ft (3.05m) long, 8ft (2.44m) wide and 8ft 6in (2.59m) high externally. Inside, the space is around 9ft 2in (2.8m) long, 7ft 7in (2.33m) wide and 7ft 9in (2.35m) high.

How big is a shipping container?)

Shipping container sizes can vary, but the most popular lengths include 10ft, 20ft and 40ft. Width is typically 8ft (2.44m) and height is usually 8ft 6in (2.59m). However, for extra space, high cube containers can offer a height of 9ft 6in (2.89m).

How wide is a shipping container?

The standard external width of a shipping container is 8ft (2.44m). Internally, this measures to around 7ft 7in (2.33m). This sizing is consistent across 10ft, 20ft and 40ft containers. 

How much can I fit in a 20ft container?

A 20ft container offers roughly 1160 cubic feet of space. This is a sizeable option, enough to fit the contents of a small two-bedroom house or around 10 standard pallets. This size presents ample space for storage or even as temporary housing.

How much can I fit in a 10ft container?

A 10ft container, however, provides around 560 cubic feet of internal space. It’s ideal for storing a small to medium amount of goods, or to use as an office or changing room facility.

What size are standard shipping containers?

Standard shipping container sizes include 10ft, 20ft and 40ft lengths. Standard heights are usually 8ft 6in and lengths 8ft wide.

High cube containers are also a popular option and offer a 9ft 6in height.