United States has 467 ports and terminals indexed in the Ecer Freight database and remains a major maritime gateway connecting North America with Asia, Europe, Latin America and global supply chains.
Compare port codes, gateway locations, container throughput and regional freight roles for United States.
The United States port system combines large coastal container gateways, bulk and energy terminals, Great Lakes facilities, river ports and inland freight hubs. Database coverage is an indexed-port measure and should not be confused with national port-count statistics or global container-port rankings.
How many seaports does United States have?
United States has 467 seaports and terminals indexed by Ecer Freight in its Oct 2026 database snapshot. This is indexed coverage, not a claim that 467 is the official national statutory port count.
Which are the busiest container gateways in United States?
The leading container gateways include Los Angeles (USLAX), Long Beach (USLGB), New York (USNYC), Savannah (USSAV), Houston (USHOU) and Charleston (USCHA), with annual rankings subject to the reporting scope used.
Which regions handle the main United States freight flows?
The main freight clusters are the Southern California gateway, the New York–New Jersey and wider East Coast gateways, the Gulf Coast, the Pacific Northwest and the Southeast Atlantic ports including Savannah and Charleston.
The table uses 2025 reported container volumes where port-authority figures are publicly available. World ranks are indicative global container-port positions based on published 2025 league-table coverage; port boundaries and reporting methods can differ.
Selected high-activity gateways in the Ecer Freight sample · 2025 throughput
| World rank | Port | UN-LOCODE | 2025 throughput (M TEU) | YoY change | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Los Angeles | USLAX | 10.24 | +2.5% | Southern California |
| 22 | Long Beach | USLGB | 9.65 | +0.1% | Southern California |
| 28 | New York | USNYC | 8.70 | +11.0% | New York–New Jersey |
| 40 | Savannah | USSAV | 5.70 | +2.3% | Southeast Atlantic |
| 47 | Houston | USHOU | 4.30 | +1.2% | Gulf Coast |
| 53 | Charleston, Sc | USCHA | 3.20 | +0.6% | Southeast Atlantic |
| — | Seattle | USSEA | — | — | Pacific Northwest |
| — | Tacoma, Wa | USTAC | — | — | Pacific Northwest |
| — | Oakland | USOAK | — | — | San Francisco Bay |
Port selection depends on origin or destination inland geography, vessel service availability, equipment balance, rail access, customs requirements and final-mile capacity. The following groups use only ports present in the Ecer Freight sample.
The Southern California gateway is the principal U.S. transpacific container cluster, while Northern California and Oregon provide additional Pacific services and regional distribution capacity.
Selected Pacific Coast ports
| Port | UN-LOCODE | City / Province | Main cargo role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | USLAX | Los Angeles / — | Containerized imports and exports |
| Long Beach | USLGB | Los Angeles / — | Transpacific containers and intermodal freight |
| Oakland | USOAK | Oakland / — | Containers, agriculture and Northern California cargo |
| San Francisco | USSFO | San Francisco / — | Bay Area maritime and project cargo |
| Portland | USPDX | Portland / — | Containers, bulk and regional exports |
The Pacific Northwest supports transpacific container services, agricultural exports, forest products and inland rail connections to the U.S. interior.
Selected Pacific Northwest ports
| Port | UN-LOCODE | City / Province | Main cargo role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | USSEA | Seattle / — | Containers, automobiles and breakbulk |
| Tacoma, Wa | USTAC | Tacoma / — | Containers, intermodal and bulk cargo |
| Tacoma | USTIW | Tacoma / — | Local terminal and port-code coverage |
| Metlakatla | USMET | Metlakatla / — | Regional and community maritime services |
East Coast gateways serve major consumer markets and inland distribution corridors, with strong links to Europe, Asia via the Suez route, and Latin America.
Selected Atlantic ports
| Port | UN-LOCODE | City / Province | Main cargo role |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | USNYC | New York / — | Containers, consumer goods and project cargo |
| Savannah | USSAV | Savannah / — | Containers, distribution and automotive cargo |
| Charleston, Sc | USCHA | Chattanooga / — | Containers, automotive and manufacturing cargo |
| Norfolk, Va | USNFK | Norfolk / — | Containers, vehicles and military-related cargo |
| Baltimore | USBAL | Baltimore / — | Ro-ro, vehicles, containers and breakbulk |
| Boston Ma | USBOS | Boston Ma / — | Regional containers and general cargo |
Gulf Coast gateways handle energy, chemicals, agricultural products and containers. Great Lakes and inland locations connect maritime cargo with river, rail and domestic distribution networks.
Selected Gulf, Great Lakes and inland freight locations
| Port | UN-LOCODE | City / Province | Main cargo role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | USHOU | Houston / — | Energy, chemicals, containers and project cargo |
| Mobile | USMOB | Mobile / — | Containers, forest products and heavy cargo |
| New Orleans, La | USNOL | New Orleans / — | Grain, bulk, containers and river-linked cargo |
| Tampa, Fl | USTAM | Tampa / — | Bulk, project cargo and regional trade |
| Cleveland | USCLE | Cleveland / — | Great Lakes bulk and industrial cargo |
| Chicago | USCHI | Chicago / — | Inland intermodal and distribution hub |
UN/LOCODEs identify locations used in shipping documents, booking systems, customs filings and transport instructions. A code in the Ecer Freight directory should be checked against the intended terminal and operating location before booking.
United States UN/LOCODEs normally begin with the country prefix US followed by a three-character location identifier. Examples in the sample include USLAX for Los Angeles, USLGB for Long Beach and USHOU for Houston.
A city-level code may represent a wider transport location, while a terminal or facility record can have a separate operational identity. Similar names such as Tacoma and Wilmington therefore require careful code confirmation.
Cross-check the code against the UNECE UN/LOCODE directory, the carrier booking system and the relevant location record in the Ecer Freight port directory.
Transit times are indicative port-to-port ranges and vary with service rotation, transshipment, congestion, seasonality, equipment availability and customs handling.
The transpacific trade is a core lane for consumer goods, machinery, electronics, agricultural exports and industrial inputs.
Atlantic services connect U.S. consumer and industrial markets with the United Kingdom, Northern Europe and the Mediterranean through established liner networks.
Gulf, East Coast and South Florida gateways support container, refrigerated, automotive and project cargo flows to Central America, the Caribbean and South America.
Services generally use Atlantic or Pacific connections with transshipment and may be affected by canal routing, security conditions and carrier schedule changes.
The page separates Ecer Freight indexed coverage from official cargo statistics and port-authority throughput reporting. Figures are reviewed against available public releases and should be confirmed for a live quotation or operational decision.
United States has 467 seaports and terminals indexed by Ecer Freight in the Oct 2026 database snapshot. The figure represents directory coverage rather than an official national statutory count.
Los Angeles (USLAX) is generally the largest U.S. single-port container gateway by annual TEU volume, followed closely by Long Beach (USLGB). Rankings can change with the reporting year and whether neighboring terminals are consolidated.
Examples include USLAX for Los Angeles, USLGB for Long Beach, USNYC for New York, USSAV for Savannah, USHOU for Houston and USSEA for Seattle. The intended terminal and booking location should be confirmed before use.
Southern California, the New York–New Jersey gateway, the Southeast Atlantic, the Gulf Coast and the Pacific Northwest are the main coastal clusters. Great Lakes, river and inland locations also support multimodal freight.
The indexed-port snapshot is dated Oct 2026, while the latest complete comparative throughput year used on this page is 2025. Port authorities may revise figures, and current schedules, congestion and surcharges require confirmation.
Selection should consider inland delivery point, vessel service, rail and truck connectivity, cargo type, free time, customs requirements, equipment availability and total landed cost rather than TEU ranking alone.
FCL and LCL rate searches are available through the Ecer Freight quotation pages. A reliable quote normally requires origin, destination, cargo description, package details, weight, volume, ready date and Incoterms.
Editorial note: United States port coverage is based on the Ecer Freight database snapshot for Oct 2026. Throughput and waterborne-commerce references use port-authority and U.S. government publications, with 2025 used as the latest complete comparative year where available. Port records and statistics are reviewed quarterly, while live schedules, rates, security conditions and terminal practices remain subject to confirmation.
Ecer Freight · Seaports in United States: Port Codes, Throughput & Regional Guide (2026) · Data reviewed quarterly · Port Codes · Ports by Country · Contact
