Complete Guide to Amazon Fulfillment Centers in the USA
Amazon operates over 100 fulfillment centers across the United States. For sellers shipping from China, the FC code Amazon assigns in your Seller Central shipping plan determines your freight routing, transit time, and per-unit freight cost. West Coast FCs like ONT8 and LAX9 run 18-24 days from Shanghai. East Coast FCs like ABE2 and EWR4 add 10-14 days of rail transit after the container lands. This guide explains the four Amazon warehouse types, how FC assignments actually work, why regional routing strategy matters for landed cost, and how to ship DDP from China to any FC in the network.
For a complete list of Amazon warehouse addresses by state and country: Amazon FBA warehouse locations list. For country-specific shipping: USA guide | UK guide | Canada guide | Australia guide
The Four Types of Amazon Warehouses
Not every building with an Amazon sign is a fulfillment center. Amazon operates four distinct facility types, and only one of them appears in your shipping plan:
| Type | Code Pattern | What It Does | In Your Shipping Plan? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fulfillment Center (FC) | ONT8, FTW1, ABE2 | Stores inventory, picks, packs, and ships orders | ✅ Yes |
| Sortation Center | SCK1, ATL5 | Receives packed orders from FCs, sorts by ZIP code for USPS/UPS | ❌ No |
| Delivery Station | DLA1, DMC1 | Last-mile staging; Amazon Flex drivers pick up here | ❌ No |
| Air Hub | KAFW, KILN | Prime Air cargo hub for regional air distribution | ❌ No |
If Amazon gives you a code starting with SCK, DLA, or similar non-FC prefix in your shipping plan, you have a sortation center or delivery station assignment. These handle smaller parcel volumes. FCL containers typically go to full-scale fulfillment centers identified by airport-code prefixes: ONT (Ontario, CA), LAX (Los Angeles), FTW (Fort Worth), ABE (Allentown, PA), etc.
How Amazon Assigns Your Fulfillment Center
Amazon selects the FC for your inventory — you don't pick it. When you create an FBA shipping plan in Seller Central, Amazon's placement algorithm evaluates your listing category, product dimensions, historical sales velocity by region, and available FC capacity. The algorithm routes your inventory to the FC that minimizes Amazon's internal distribution cost to the end customers it expects to buy from you. You'll see the FC code in the shipping plan before you book the freight. Your job is to get the inventory from the factory in China to that specific FC address, with FBA-compliant labeling and a scheduled delivery appointment.
The same ASIN can be routed to different FCs across different shipments — one batch to ONT8 in California, the next to FTW1 in Texas. This is normal and expected. Each shipping plan is a standalone routing decision. A competent freight forwarder reads the FC code on your plan and routes the shipment accordingly, rather than defaulting everything to the West Coast.
Regional FC Routing: Transit Times & Costs from China
Where your assigned FC sits geographically determines your freight cost and transit time. The routing difference between an FC in Southern California versus one in Pennsylvania is roughly 10-14 days and $800-1,500 per container in inland transport. Know your FC code, then use this table to estimate your shipping lane:
| Region | Key FCs | Entry Port | Transit (Sea) | Inland Leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern California | ONT8, ONT9, LAX9, LGB8, SBD1, XUSD | LA/Long Beach | 18-22 days | Truck 1 day |
| Bay Area / Central CA | OAK3 (Patterson), OAK4 (Tracy), SMF1 (Sacramento), SMF3 (Stockton), FAT1 (Fresno) | Oakland | 18-22 days | Truck 1-2 days |
| Pacific Northwest | BFI3, BFI4 (Seattle), PDX9 (Portland) | Seattle/Tacoma | 18-22 days | Truck 1 day |
| Texas | FTW1, DFW6, DFW7 (DFW), SAT1, SAT2 (San Antonio), HOU1, HOU2 (Houston) | LA/LB → rail to DFW | 18 + rail 5-7 days | Truck 1 day |
| Midwest (IN/KY/IL/OH) | IND4, IND5 (Indianapolis), MDW2, MDW4 (Chicago), SDF1, SDF2 (Louisville), CVG1, CVG2 (Cincinnati), CMH1, CMH2 (Columbus) | LA/LB → rail to Chicago | 18 + rail 7-10 days | Truck 1-2 days |
| Northeast (PA/NJ/NY) | ABE2, ABE3, AVP1, PHL4 (PA), EWR4, EWR5, TEB3 (NJ) | NY/NJ or LA→rail | 30-35 all-water / 28-32 rail | Truck 1-2 days |
| Southeast (GA/FL/NC/SC) | ATL6, MGE1 (Georgia), MCO1, TPA1 (Florida), CLT2, GSO1 (NC), CAE1, GSP1 (SC) | Savannah/Charleston | 28-32 days | Truck 1-2 days |
| Mid-Atlantic (MD/VA/DE) | BWI1, BWI2 (Baltimore), RIC1, RIC2 (Richmond), PHL1 (Delaware) | Baltimore/Norfolk or LA→rail | 28-35 days | Truck 1 day |
Routing tip: The FC code Amazon assigns determines your freight cost and transit time from China. A 40HQ to ONT8 costs roughly $800-1,200 less in inland transport than the same container routed to ABE2. Your forwarder should read the FC code on your shipping plan and route accordingly, not default everything to the West Coast. Get an FC-specific DDP quote →
Shipping from China to Any Amazon Fulfillment Center
Zbao ships FCL, LCL, and air freight from China to every Amazon FC in the United States. The delivery process from factory to FC follows this sequence:
- Factory pickup — We collect your goods from the supplier in China. All shipments are palletized and labeled at origin before container loading.
- Ocean or air freight — FCL containers are booked on the next available vessel to the port nearest your assigned FC. Air freight for urgent restocks, typically 5-10 days to any FC.
- ISF filing + customs clearance — ISF submitted 24+ hours before vessel departure. Customs entry filed while the container is at sea. Zbao holds direct US customs brokerage under FMC License 027495.
- Inland transport — Truck directly to FC (West Coast), rail + truck (Central/East Coast), or all-water + truck (East Coast via Savannah or NY/NJ).
- FBA delivery appointment — Amazon requires scheduled delivery times. We book the appointment window, generate pallet manifests, and confirm FNSKU labels are compliant before the truck arrives.
For a complete warehouse-by-warehouse address list: Amazon FBA warehouse locations (200+ verified addresses). For US customs: customs clearance guide. For CBP exam avoidance: avoid CBP exam fees guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Amazon fulfillment centers are in the USA?
Amazon operates over 100 active fulfillment centers in the United States, plus sortation centers, delivery stations, and air hubs. The largest concentrations are in California (ONT2-ONT9, OAK3-4, LAX9, LGB8), Texas (FTW1-2, DFW6-8, SAT1-2, HOU1-3), Kentucky (CVG1-3, SDF1-9), Pennsylvania (ABE2-4, AVP1-8, PHL4-6), and Indiana (IND1-6). New FCs open regularly. See our warehouse locations list for the full verified dataset.
How does Amazon decide which fulfillment center my inventory goes to?
Amazon's placement algorithm evaluates your product category, dimensions, historical sales patterns, and available FC capacity when you create a shipping plan. The algorithm routes inventory to minimize Amazon's internal distribution cost. You see the assigned FC code in Seller Central and cannot change it. If you delete and recreate the shipping plan, the assignment may change because FC capacity shifts by the hour.
Can I ship from China directly to any Amazon fulfillment center?
Yes. Zbao ships FCL, LCL, and air freight from China to every active Amazon FC in the United States. DDP door-to-door includes factory pickup, ocean or air freight, customs clearance, ISF filing, FBA labeling, pallet manifest generation, and delivery appointment scheduling. FMC-licensed (No. 027495), Amazon SPN and FIST certified. FC-specific DDP quote →
What types of Amazon warehouses exist?
Amazon has four facility types: Fulfillment Centers (FCs) for storage and order fulfillment — these appear in your shipping plan. Sortation Centers receive packed orders from FCs and sort by ZIP code for carrier handoff. Delivery Stations handle last-mile staging for Amazon Flex drivers. Air Hubs support Prime Air regional cargo distribution. Only FCs appear in your Seller Central shipping plan; the other three are Amazon-internal logistics nodes.
How long does it take to ship from China to an Amazon FC?
Sea freight to West Coast FCs (ONT8, LAX9, OAK3, BFI3): 18-24 days port-to-port, plus 1-2 days trucking. Central FCs (FTW1, IND4, MDW2): 24-30 days via West Coast rail transfer. East Coast FCs (ABE2, EWR4, BDL1, ATL6): 28-38 days via all-water routing or West Coast rail. Air freight to any FC: 5-10 days door-to-door. Customs clearance and delivery appointment scheduling add 2-3 days to all modes.
Zbao Logistics ships from China to every Amazon fulfillment center in the USA. FCL, LCL, and air freight with DDP door-to-door: factory pickup, ocean or air freight, customs clearance, ISF filing, FBA labeling, and delivery appointment booking. FMC-licensed (No. 027495). Amazon SPN and FIST certified.
For complete warehouse addresses: Amazon FBA warehouse locations (global list). Country guides: USA | UK | Canada | Australia | UAE
