List of ports in the United States

Ports are special places where ships load and unload goods. In the United States, ports are very important because they help move things like petroleum, grain, steel, automobiles, and many other items that people use every day. These ports help keep the global economy running smoothly by connecting the United States with other countries.

This list shows the ports in the United States, ranked by how much stuff they move each year. Big ports handle huge amounts of goods, while smaller ones might focus on specific types of products. Learning about these ports helps us understand how things get from one place to another and why they are so important to our everyday lives.

Top 50 U.S. ports by tonnage

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics creates a yearly report about the biggest ports in the United States. This report is made because of a law called the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act. Since 2015, the US Army Corps of Engineers helps make this report together with the United States Department of Transportation and other groups.

Some important ports include the Port of Houston, which is number one. South Louisiana is second, followed by Corpus Christi, New York/New Jersey, Long Beach in California, New Orleans, Beaumont, and Baton Rouge. In May 2024, the Port of Lake Charles moved up to number 10 on the list.

Non-continental islands