Port of Houston Authority
111 East Loop North
Houston, TX 77029
tel: (713) 670-2400
fax: (713) 670-2429
company website
111 East Loop North
Houston, TX 77029
tel: (713) 670-2400
fax: (713) 670-2429
company website
The Port DeliversTM
A 25-mile-long complex of diversified public and private facilities just a few hours by ship from the Gulf of Mexico, the Port of Houston consistently ranks No. 1 in the nation in foreign waterborne tonnage, U.S. imports and U.S. export tonnage and No. 2 in total tonnage. The port is also the nation’s leading breakbulk post, handling 65 percent of U.S. project cargo.
The Port of Houston encompasses the public terminals owned, managed and leased by the Port of Houston Authority plus the more than 150 private industrial companies along the 52-mile-long Houston Ship Channel. Each year, more than 200 million tons of cargo move through the port on more than 8,000 vessel and 200,000 barge calls.
One of the world’s busiest ports, the Port of Houston is a large, vibrant part of the regional economy. In 2012 alone, ship channel–related businesses contributed more than 1 million jobs in Texas and generated $178.5 billion in statewide economic impact and more than $4.5 billion in state and local tax revenues.
The Port of Houston has been instrumental in Houston’s development as an international trade center, with Houston noted as “the town that built the port that built the city.” Centrally located on the Gulf Coast, the Port of Houston is a strategic gateway for cargo originating in, or destined for, the U.S. West and Midwest; and ample truck, rail and air connections allow shippers to transport their goods between Houston and inland points.
The Port of Houston Authority’s leadership balances business with environmental stewardship and prioritizes providing a safe and secure environment for international trade. Maintaining and improving public facilities, it ensures the port’s continued economic impact and keeps it secure so business can flow freely. Also as the Houston Ship Channel’s sponsor, the Port of Houston Authority handles the waterway’s management and environmental stewardship, keeping the public informed of the port’s role in international trade and commerce.