In freight transportation, cargo hubs and large ports are bustling centers of activity. They are also crucial when planning your supply chain as a business owner or when deciding when and where to pick up or drop off cargo as a carrier/truck driver.
Today, let's break down the 10 largest ports in the U.S.
What Are the 10 Largest Ports in the U.S.?
There are dozens of quality, busy ports scattered throughout the continental U.S., as well as Alaska and Hawaii. But 10 of those ports are the largest in terms of size or shipment quantity each day.
1. Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles is one of the largest and busiest ports overall, nestled in the San Pedro Bay of California. It occupies 7500 acres of land and features a 43-mile-long waterfront. In total, it accounts for 13.5% of the total market share for shipping in North America.
It’s also the 19th busiest port in the world overall in terms of raw container volume for exports to Asian markets, like China.
2. Newark Port, NJ
Newark Port, also called the Port of New York and New Jersey, is the top port on the East Coast of the U.S. It's the third largest port in the entire country, offering access to concentrated consumer markets worldwide.
It contributes to about 11% of the cargo volume throughout North America, and its responsible for handling trading of many commodities like petroleum, break bulk cargo, scrap metal, and more.
3. Long Beach, CA
You can't forget the Port of Long Beach, which represents about 12.1% of the North American market share. It's valued at about $180 billion and, combined with the Port of Los Angeles, is responsible for one-quarter of all container trade throughout North America. More importantly, shipping containers to and from Long Beach is a popular choice for businesses as it’s seen as a gateway port for trading with Asia.
4. Savannah, GA
The Port of Savannah is the largest and most primary port in Georgia. At Savannah, you'll find the largest single container facility and the biggest concentration of distribution centers on the United States East Coast (USEC).
5. Houston, TX
The Port of Houston is the busiest port in the U.S. in terms of foreign tonnage, and it's also the largest port you'll find on the Gulf Coast. It's about 25 miles long and only a few hours away from the Gulf of Mexico. It handled about 68% of the total Gulf Coast container traffic in 2016: a good signal of just how popular and profitable it really is.
6. Seattle, WA
Technically, the Port of Seattle and the Port of Tacoma are one major port, as they merged in 2015. The Port of Seattle and Port of Tacoma are both operated by the Northwest Seaport Alliance. Combined, they account for 5.3% of the North American container trade, with over 2.1 million TEUs each year.
7. Tacoma, WA
As noted above, the Port of Tacoma was merged with the Port of Seattle in 2015. Traffic increased to both ports over the last few years, resulting in a very strong growth spurt.
8. Norfolk, VA
The Port of Norfolk, Virginia is highly busy at all times of year, and it handles about 11% of the eastern coast's cargo throughput. Ships just take 2.5 hours to reach the ocean, and it is close to well-connected railways. As a result, about one-third of the cargo at the Port of Virginia arrives and leaves by rail instead of by truck.
9. Oakland, CA
The Port of Oakland is another large and highly important U.S. port. It handled 1.5 million TEUs in 2015, and it averages about 3.7% of the North American market share every year. It handles 99% of containerized goods moving to and from Northern California, so it's a crucial port for West Coast consumers in particular.
10. Miami, FL
Last but not least is the Port of Miami, positioned in a strategic spot at the crossroads of both North and South America. It's one of the most southeastern U.S. ports and has the deepest shipping channel in the country. Notably, it's the only port that is equipped to handle specialized neo-Panamax vessels.
How Do the Largest Ports Impact Shipping Cost?
Large container ports can positively or negatively impact shipping costs depending on surrounding circumstances, like proximity to auto transit terminals and how many container ships arrive each day.
Most of the time, large cargo terminals are fairly cost-effective. That’s because you can order your cargo to be consolidated on a massive cargo ship, benefiting from the worldwide economy to move thousands of pounds of cargo for low prices.
Then, once your cargo gets delivered to one of the largest ports in the U.S., you can have dedicated carriers or smaller shipping companies move it the rest of the way to its final destination.
However, keep in mind that large container terminals are also prone to clogging or congestion. Congested ports can halt traffic across many industries, resulting in heavy delays, supply chain outages, and other product disruptions. It's best to look at the conditions of the biggest ports in the U.S. before ordering cargo to go through them.
Bottom Line
These 10 massive ports combined see most of the freight in the U.S. pass through them at one time or another. More importantly, you can use this knowledge to plan your shipping routes for cost-effectiveness and time sensitivity.
When you work with RPM, our knowledgeable logistics specialists will help you plan a profitable, cost-effective route for your shipments. We’ll ensure that your cargo gets where it needs to go, whether that means passing through one of the above ports or several. Contact us today to get started.
Sources:
2 Definition of Ports and Methods Used to Identify the Top 25 Ports by Total Tonnage, Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit (TEU), and Dry Bulk Tonnage | Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Why Seattle and Tacoma, Maritime Rivals, Merged Their Ports | Bloomberg
Panama Canal allows longer vessels in neo-panamax locks | Seatrade Maritime
Supply Chains and Port Congestion Around the World | IMF.org
