List of ports in the United States


This is a list of ports of the United States, ranked by tonnage. Ports in the United States handle a wide variety of goods that are critical to the global economy, including petroleum, liquefied natural gas, grain, steel, automobiles, and containerized goods. The U.S. port system comprises over 300 commercially active harbors that collectively handle approximately 1.87 billion short tons annually across the top 25 ports alone.

Overview

The U.S. maritime port system has undergone significant transformation in the 2024-2025 period, characterized by strategic realignment following supply chain disruptions of the early 2020s. The Gulf Coast ports have strengthened their dominance in total tonnage, driven by the United States' position as the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas and a major crude oil supplier. Meanwhile, West Coast container ports have experienced strong recovery in volumes after labor stability was achieved.
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics issues an annual report, the Port Performance Freight Statistics Program Annual Report, pursuant to the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act, ranking ports in the United States by cargo tonnage. Since 2015, this report has been produced by the US Army Corps of Engineers through the Institute for Water Resources, in conjunction with the United States Department of Transportation and the Maritime Administration.
Due to the extensive data collection and verification process required across hundreds of ports and thousands of terminals, official consolidated statistics are typically published 18-24 months after the reporting year. The most recent comprehensive official data is from 2022, published in July 2024. Where available and officially released, preliminary 2023-2024 data from individual port authorities has been incorporated and clearly noted in the table below.

Recent developments (2024-2025)

2024 United States port strike

On October 1-3, 2024, over 47,000 members of the International Longshoremen's Association participated in a strike at 36 ports along the East Coast and Gulf Coast—the first ILA strike since 1977. The work stoppage affected container, breakbulk, and Ro/Ro operations from Maine to Texas, impacting facilities that collectively handle approximately half of the nation's containerized imports. Economic analysts estimated the strike cost between $3.8 billion and $5 billion per day in economic disruption.
After three days, a tentative agreement was reached to extend negotiations to January 15, 2025. The eventual six-year master contract, ratified in January 2025 with nearly 99% approval, included a 77% wage increase over the contract period and a complete ban on automation until 2030. This labor agreement fundamentally shapes the operational trajectory of U.S. East and Gulf Coast ports, mandating reliance on human-operated equipment while Asian and European competitors increasingly deploy fully automated terminals.

Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse

On March 26, 2024, the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed after being struck by the container ship MV Dali, severing the main shipping channel to the Port of Baltimore. The catastrophic failure blocked deep-draft vessel access for 11 weeks, disrupting a port that is the nation's premier gateway for Ro/Ro cargo and a major coal export hub. The closure impacted over 8,000 jobs directly associated with port operations and generated an estimated $15 million in daily economic losses.
Despite the extended disruption, the Port of Baltimore demonstrated remarkable resilience. Automotive manufacturers diverted shipments to alternative gateways including Brunswick, Georgia, and the Port of New York and New Jersey. The channel fully reopened in June 2024, and by year-end the port had handled 45.9 million tons—demonstrating rapid recovery despite the 11-week closure.

Panama Canal drought restrictions

Prolonged drought in 2024 reduced water levels in Gatun Lake, the primary water source for Panama Canal operations, to historic lows. The resulting restrictions cut canal transit capacity by up to 40%, forcing shippers to seek alternative routing strategies. Many cargo owners shifted to all-water routes via the Suez Canal or increased reliance on U.S. West Coast ports, particularly Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Pacific Northwest gateways. East Coast ports including Savannah also benefited from diversions that would have otherwise transited the canal.

Infrastructure investments

Major port infrastructure projects completed or advanced significantly in 2024-2025:
Channel deepening projects:Port of Corpus Christi: Completed the Corpus Christi Ship Channel Improvement Project in early 2025, deepening the channel to 54 feet Mean Lower Low Water and widening to 530 feet. This $625 million project enables full loading of Suezmax crude oil tankers, providing an estimated $200 million in annual transportation cost savings.Port of Virginia: Near completion of deepening to 55 feet—the deepest commercial channel on the East Coast—with a width of 800 feet enabling two-way traffic of ultra-large container vessels. This provides Virginia with a significant competitive advantage for post-Panamax vessel calls.Port of Mobile: Completed the fourth phase of container terminal expansion in October 2024, doubling annual container capacity to 1 million TEUs and positioning Mobile to compete more aggressively with established Gulf Coast container ports.
Terminal and rail infrastructure:Port of Houston: Project 11 channel widening continues, expanding the Houston Ship Channel to 700 feet along its Galveston Bay reach to ensure safe two-way traffic for Neo-Panamax vessels. The Houston Ship Channel supports 3.37 million jobs nationwide and generates $906 billion in annual economic value.Port of Savannah: Construction underway on the Blue Ridge Connector, an inland rail terminal in Northeast Georgia slated for opening in 2026. This facility is projected to eliminate 52,000 truck trips through metropolitan Atlanta annually while extending Savannah's hinterland reach deeper into the Midwest.Port of Long Beach: The $365 million Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility continues construction through 2028, designed to triple on-dock rail capacity and enable trains up to 10,000 feet in length.
Federal funding:
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provides $2.25 billion through the Port Infrastructure Development Program from 2022-2026. For Fiscal Year 2025, $500 million was allocated for port infrastructure improvements, focusing on capacity expansion, resilience, and sustainability. Notable 2024 PIDP awards include nearly $50 million to the Georgia Ports Authority for the Garden City Terminal Power Resiliency Project.

Environmental and sustainability initiatives

Federal investments accelerated port decarbonization efforts in 2024:
  • The Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Ports Program awarded over $3 billion in grants in 2024 to support zero-emission cargo handling equipment and shore power installations.
  • The Port of Los Angeles received $412 million for transitioning to zero-emission equipment, including electric cargo handling machinery and hydrogen fuel cell applications.
  • Seven California ports collectively received over $1 billion to transition to zero-emission operations, representing the largest single federal investment in port sustainability to date.
  • The Port of Virginia transitioned to 100% clean electricity in January 2024, becoming the first major East Coast port to achieve this milestone.

Top 50 U.S. ports by tonnage

The table below presents official cargo tonnage rankings based on waterborne commerce data. Rankings 1-10 include updated 2023-2024 figures where officially released by port authorities; rankings 11-50 rely on the most recent consolidated USACE dataset. This mixed-year approach reflects the reality of federal data publication timelines while incorporating the most current information available for major ports.
The Port of Houston maintains its position as the nation's largest port, handling 309.5 million short tons in 2023 and widening its lead over the second-ranked port. The Port of Lake Charles ranks at number 10 nationally.
RankPort nameStateTotal trade
Domestic totalForeign totalForeign importsForeign exportsData year / Notes
1Port of HoustonTexas309,500,0002023 Official. Petrochemicals, resins, containers.
2Port of South LouisianaLouisiana248,100,0002023 Official. Grain, crude oil.
3Port of Corpus ChristiTexas206,500,0002024 Preliminary. LNG, crude oil; primary U.S. energy gateway.
4New York and New JerseyNew Jersey
New York		141,297,96140,087,79783,609,64168,357,07815,252,5632022 USACE. Containers, vehicles, petroleum.
5Port of Long BeachCalifornia93,028,13413,490,35365,687,73446,552,10419,135,6302022 USACE. Container gateway for Asian imports.
6Port of New OrleansLouisiana83,339,94943,220,21737,847,23115,324,11822,523,1132022 USACE. General cargo, containers.
7Port of BeaumontTexas94,400,000FY 2024 Preliminary. Liquid bulk, military cargo.
8Port of Greater Baton RougeLouisiana73,426,61543,420,45828,266,4145,662,82722,603,5872022 USACE. Petrochemicals, grain.
9Port of VirginiaVirginia69,451,6194,956,36953,092,41612,362,77340,729,6432022 USACE. Coal, containers.
10Port of Lake CharlesLouisiana65,000,0002024 Estimate. LNG, chemicals; $83.4B economic impact.
11Port of Los AngelesCalifornia58,984,7284,501,36554,950,77438,658,36516,292,4092022 USACE. #1 in container TEUs.
12Port of MobileAlabama54,779,06018,794,08334,412,47817,859,99916,552,4792022 USACE. Coal, steel, containers.
13Plaquemines PortLouisiana48,088,47125,879,97120,870,8284,555,96916,314,8592022 USACE. Domestic bulk cargo.
14Port of SavannahGeorgia46,215,5031,135,77742,317,26724,505,36617,811,9012022 USACE. Containers, agricultural exports.
15Port of BaltimoreMaryland45,900,0002024 Preliminary. Recovered from bridge collapse.
16Port of Port ArthurTexas41,655,01317,297,10823,925,0927,316,83516,608,2572022 USACE.
17Port FreeportTexas39,127,5184,171,92534,576,7376,560,37728,016,3602022 USACE.
18Mid-Ohio Valley PortOhio
West Virginia		35,335,99435,335,9940002022 USACE.
19Ports of Cincinnati-Northern KYOhio
Kentucky		34,638,62134,638,6210002022 USACE.
20Port of Texas CityTexas34,063,65312,540,97121,180,3417,601,30913,579,0322022 USACE.
21Port of St. LouisMissouri
Illinois		30,764,85730,764,8570002022 USACE.
22Port of Huntington Tri-StateWest Virginia
Kentucky
Ohio		29,941,98329,941,9830002022 USACE.
23Port of PhiladelphiaPennsylvania28,787,74211,589,63416,928,1269,833,6807,094,4462022 USACE.
24Port Tampa BayFlorida28,781,74215,913,14812,598,6128,250,5234,348,0892022 USACE.
25ValdezAlaska25,316,24123,019,7462,093,48502,093,4852022 USACE. Crude oil exports.
26Twin Ports of Duluth-SuperiorMinnesota
Wisconsin		25,071,11019,363,2385,707,872692,7765,015,0962022 USACE.
27Port of CharlestonSouth Carolina24,947,4821,822,97323,124,50914,996,0998,128,4102022 USACE.
28Northern Indiana Maritime DistrictIndiana24,684,06024,128,574555,486512,75942,7272022 USACE.
29PascagoulaMississippi23,096,7788,311,64514,785,1337,450,7887,334,3452022 USACE.
30Port of SeattleWashington22,964,5464,814,77218,149,7749,098,1349,051,6402022 USACE.
31Port of TacomaWashington21,575,0594,186,84417,388,2155,794,81111,593,4042022 USACE.
32Port of RichmondCalifornia21,050,7416,277,53814,773,20311,494,5543,278,6492022 USACE.
33Port of PortlandOregon20,706,3456,391,34414,315,0012,218,43112,096,5702022 USACE.
34Port EvergladesFlorida20,440,57311,177,7689,262,8056,498,5512,764,2542022 USACE.
35South JerseyNew Jersey20,254,3258,383,22911,871,09611,271,285599,8112022 USACE.
36Port of OaklandCalifornia19,439,7621,313,83518,125,9278,520,1429,605,7852022 USACE.
37KalamaWashington18,140,8861,393,41616,747,470328,88816,418,5822022 USACE.
38Port of JacksonvilleFlorida16,701,3707,892,9868,808,3847,379,7151,428,6692022 USACE.
39Port of PittsburghPennsylvania15,536,05115,536,0510002022 USACE.
40New Bourbon Port AuthorityMissouri15,506,75415,506,7540002022 USACE.
41Mid-America PortIowa
Illinois
Missouri		14,952,34314,952,3430002022 USACE.
42Illinois Waterway PortsIllinois14,946,03414,946,0340002022 USACE.
43Two HarborsMinnesota13,499,84711,746,0911,753,75601,753,7562022 USACE.
44Port of BostonMassachusetts13,322,5823,399,7789,922,8048,310,1011,612,7032022 USACE.
45Port of HonoluluHawaii12,261,50611,424,582836,924619,948216,9762022 USACE.
46Port of GalvestonTexas11,945,1825,242,6796,702,5031,525,0325,177,4712022 USACE.
47Port of LongviewWashington11,071,2851,145,3339,925,952338,1729,587,7802022 USACE.
48Port of Vancouver USAWashington10,198,6022,557,9387,640,6641,128,6026,512,0622022 USACE.
49Port of ClevelandOhio9,442,7397,655,8271,786,9121,359,394427,5182022 USACE.
50Port of San JuanPuerto Rico9,337,1634,611,7874,725,3764,285,535439,8412022 USACE.

Note: This table combines official 2022 USACE consolidated data with preliminary 2023-2024 figures officially released by individual port authorities where available. Detailed breakdowns are shown for 2022 USACE data; 2023-2024 preliminary data includes total tonnage only. Official federal consolidation of 2023-2024 data is expected in mid-2026.

Container ports

Container port rankings are based on twenty-foot equivalent units, measuring standardized container volumes. The U.S. container port system experienced strong growth in 2024, with volumes rebounding after labor uncertainties and supply chain disruptions of previous years.

Top 10 container ports by TEU (2024)

RankPort nameStateApproximate 2024 TEUsNotes
1Port of Los AngelesCalifornia10,300,000Second-best year on record; 19.8% increase.
2Port of Long BeachCalifornia9,100,000Record October 2024.
3Port of New York and New JerseyNew Jersey
New York		8,700,000Third-busiest year; up 11.4% year-over-year.
4Port of SavannahGeorgia5,100,000Strong Southeast U.S. growth; fastest-growing major port.
5Port of HoustonTexas4,139,991Record year; 8% increase; Gulf Coast container leader.
6Port of VirginiaVirginia3,500,000Deep channel enables ultra-large vessels.
7Northwest Seaport AllianceWashington3,340,000Seattle-Tacoma combined; up 12.3% in 2024.
8Port of CharlestonSouth Carolina2,500,000Leatherman Terminal Phase 2 expansion underway.
9Port of OaklandCalifornia2,260,000Agricultural export gateway.
10PortMiamiFlorida~1,100,000Combined cruise and container operations.

Note: 2024 figures are preliminary estimates from port authorities and have not been officially consolidated by federal agencies. Final certified data typically becomes available 18-24 months after the reporting year.

Non-continental islands

PortState or territoryGNIS feature IDCoordinatesExternal link
Port of San JuanPuerto Rico
Marina Puerto Chico, FajardoPuerto Rico
Port of PoncePuerto Rico
Christiansted, St. CroixUS Virgin Islands
HiloHawaii
Kawaihae HarborHawaii
KahuluiHawaii
Port of HonoluluHawaii
KalaeloaHawaii
NawiliwiliHawaii
Apra Harbor, Port of GuamGuam
Agat Harbor, Port of GuamGuam
Port of SaipanNorthern Mariana Islands

General references

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