St. Louis region remains home to the nation’s most efficient inland port

This article originally ran in American Journal of Transportation on January 25, 2024. 

The latest data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) reveals the ports in the St. Louis metropolitan area collectively remained the most efficient inland port district in the nation in terms of tons moved per river mile in 2021, the most recent year for which numbers are available. The findings come from an independent report by S&P Global Commodity Insights analyzing USACE data to determine how the St. Louis Metro Ports ranked relative to other inland ports in the nation. Their analysis revealed that, in 2021, the St. Louis region’s barge industry handled 427,000 tons per mile, while the average tons per mile across the other seven inland port districts was 104,014. Essentially, the St. Louis Metro Ports moved more than four times the average tons per mile, as compared to the other seven inland port districts in the U.S.

“The St. Louis harbor continues to be the most concentrated location on the Inland Waterway for export grain,” said David Jump, CEO of American Milling, LP. “Transportation efficiencies, facilities, and geography combine to result in lower costs for shippers. This results in the St. Louis region’s position as a global freight hub.”