Port of Houston

Port of Houston
Logo of the Port of Houston Authority
Map
Click on the map for a fullscreen view
Location
CountryUnited States
LocationHouston (Texas, USA)
Coordinates29°43′N 95°15′W / 29.717°N 95.250°W / 29.717; -95.250[1]
UN/LOCODEUSHOU[2]
Details
Operated byPort of Houston Authority
Owned byCity of Houston
Type of harbourArtificial / natural
Number of cargo container terminals2
Number of major general cargo terminals5
Statistics
Annual cargo tonnage212 million (2006)[3]
Annual container volume1.6 million TEUs (2006)[3]
Annual revenueUS$168 million (2006)[3]
Net incomeUS$42 million (2006)[3]
Economic valueUS$118 billion (2006)[3]
Attributable jobs785,000 (2006)[3]
Draft depth45 feet
Website
http://www.portofhouston.com

The Port of Houston is one of the world's largest ports and serves the metropolitan area of Houston, Texas. The port is a 50-mile-long complex of diversified public and private facilities located a few hours' sailing time from the Gulf of Mexico. Located in the fourth-largest city in the United States, it is the busiest port in the U.S. in terms of foreign tonnage and the busiest in the U.S. in terms of overall tonnage.[4] Though originally the port's terminals were primarily within the Houston city limits, the port has expanded to such a degree that today it has facilities in multiple communities in the surrounding area. In particular the port's busiest terminal, the Barbours Cut Terminal, is located in Morgan's Point.

The Port of Houston is a cooperative entity consisting of both the port authority, which operates the major terminals along the Houston Ship Channel, and more than 150 private companies situated along Buffalo Bayou and Galveston Bay.[5] Many petroleum corporations have built refineries along the channel where they are partially protected from the threat of major storms in the Gulf of Mexico. The petrochemical complex associated with the Port of Houston is one of the largest in the world.[6]

  1. ^ "Port of Houston, U.S.A." www.findaport.com. Shipping Guides Ltd. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  2. ^ "UNLOCODE (US) - UNITED STATES". service.unece.org. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "PHA and Bond Fast Facts". Port of Houston Authority. Archived from the original on June 7, 2009. Retrieved January 26, 2010.
  4. ^ Collier, Kiah (May 3, 2013). "Houston has the busiest seaport in the U.S." Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  5. ^ "Overview". Port of Houston Authority. Archived from the original on May 9, 2008. Retrieved February 1, 2010.
  6. ^ Weisman, Alan (2008). The World Without Us. New York: Macmillan. p. 166. ISBN 978-0-312-34729-1. The industrial megaplex that begins on the east side of Houston and continues uninterrupted to the Gulf of Mexico, 50 miles away, is the largest concentration of petroleum refineries, petrochemical companies, and storage structures on Earth.