The Busiest Ports in The United States And Their Importance

With approximately 360 sea and river ports that operate commercially, the U.S. shipping industry plays a major role in the economic growth of the United States. The following is a list of five of the busiest ports in America, and why each is important to the prosperity of the U.S.A.:

1. Los Angeles, California

In 2013 this port saw traffic of over 430,000 passengers and boasted an annual revenue of over $397 million. The Los Angeles port gets the most shipping container traffic of any port in the United States.

2. Long Beach, California

Even though the L.A. Port gets the most containers, the port of Long Beach ranks as number one with the most tonnage. These two ports are next to each other but they are operated separately. This port is vital to the economy as it provides shipping terminals for almost one third of the water trade moving through the West Coast.

3. New York/New Jersey

The Port of New York and New Jersey is one of the largest natural ports in the world. Considering this is the busiest port on the East Coast makes it critical to the economy in this area of the country. Total TEUs in 2013 for this port rose to 428,367.

4. Savannah, Georgia

The Savannah port is known as the "retail port," imports goods for retail-giants like WalMart and Lowes. It offers immediate access to I-95 and I-16, two major Interstates along the United States' east coast. It is approximately a four hour drive to major urban areas, such as Orlando and Atlanta.

5. Houston, Texas

The Port of Houston is the busiest port with regards to foreign tonnage. With its location on the Gulf it is strategically located to deliver goods throughout the Midwest, but is also incredibly important because of the oil rigs stationed in the Gulf.


Each of the major shipping ports listed above, will continue to make significant contributions to the economic growth in their region, as well as the entire United States. To maintain their global competitiveness, ongoing shipping port investments will introduce innovations that will continue to improve their performance, in the future.