US Prefix and Three-Letter Location Code
A United States UN/LOCODE normally begins with the country prefix US and is followed by a three-character location identifier, such as USLAX for Los Angeles or USLGB for Long Beach.
Seaports in United States: Port Codes, Throughput & Regional Guide (2026)
United States has 467 ports and terminals indexed in the Ecer Freight database, supporting major Pacific, Atlantic, Gulf, inland-waterway and multimodal freight networks.
Explore United States port codes, principal cargo gateways, regional logistics clusters and indicative ocean freight lanes.
United States Port Overview
The United States combines high-volume container gateways on both coasts with Gulf energy and project-cargo ports, Great Lakes facilities, inland river ports and major intermodal distribution centers. Indexed coverage and public throughput rankings use different definitions and should not be treated as equivalent.
467
United States ports & terminals indexed in our database
Ecer Freight database · Nov 2026
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National waterborne cargo tonnage, 2025; consolidated official figure pending
USACE Waterborne Commerce · 2025
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National container throughput, 2025; consolidated official figure pending
BTS freight data · 2025
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National commercial berth count, 2025; no single consolidated official series
USACE and port authorities · 2025
How many seaports does United States have?
United States has 467 seaports and terminals indexed by Ecer Freight in its Nov 2026 database snapshot. This indexed total includes maritime, inland-waterway, intermodal and terminal records and is not a national legal census of every facility.
Which are the largest container gateways in United States?
The principal container gateways include Los Angeles (USLAX), Long Beach (USLGB), New York (USNYC), Savannah (USSAV), Houston (USHOU), Seattle (USSEA), Tacoma (USTAC) and Oakland (USOAK), with rankings subject to the reporting scope and year used.
Which freight regions are most important in United States?
The main freight regions are the Southern California gateway, the Pacific Northwest, the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, the Gulf Coast, the Southeast Atlantic coast and the Great Lakes–inland distribution network. Los Angeles, Long Beach, New York, Houston, Savannah and Norfolk are representative gateways.
Top United States Container and Cargo Ports
The table provides an indicative 2025 league view using publicly reported container volumes. World rank is indicative because global rankings vary by inclusion of port complexes, terminal boundaries and calendar-year reporting practices.
Indicative 2025 container throughput ranking
| World rank | Port | UN-LOCODE | 2025 throughput (M TEU) | YoY change | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Los Angeles | USLAX | 10.24 | +4.2% | Southern California |
| 19 | Long Beach | USLGB | 9.65 | +23.6% | Southern California |
| 25 | New York | USNYC | 8.25 | +6.5% | Northeast |
| 36 | Savannah | USSAV | 5.70 | +3.0% | Southeast Atlantic |
| 45 | Houston | USHOU | 4.36 | +4.0% | Gulf Coast |
| 47 | Seattle | USSEA | 3.45 | +5.0% | Pacific Northwest |
| 49 | Tacoma, Wa | USTAC | 3.15 | +2.0% | Pacific Northwest |
| 55 | Oakland | USOAK | 2.07 | −7.0% | San Francisco Bay |
| 58 | Charleston, Sc | USCHA | 2.85 | +3.6% | Southeast Atlantic |
| 60 | Norfolk, Va | USNFK | 3.70 | +4.1% | Mid-Atlantic |
United States Port Regions
Port selection depends on vessel service, inland destination, equipment availability, customs routing and terminal operating conditions. The following clusters use facilities represented in the Ecer Freight sample.
Pacific Coast
Pacific gateways handle major Asia–United States container flows and connect with western rail and truck networks.
Pacific Coast ports
| Port | UN-LOCODE | City / Province | Main cargo role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | USLAX | Los Angeles | Containerized imports, exports and transpacific services |
| Long Beach | USLGB | Los Angeles | Containers, automobiles and intermodal cargo |
| Oakland | USOAK | Oakland | Containers, agricultural exports and project cargo |
| San Francisco | USSFO | San Francisco | Regional cargo and passenger-related maritime activity |
| Seattle | USSEA | Seattle | Containers, breakbulk and Pacific Northwest distribution |
| Tacoma, Wa | USTAC | Tacoma | Containers, vehicles and intermodal cargo |
Northeast and Mid-Atlantic
The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic serve dense consumer markets and inland destinations through large container, vehicle and general-cargo facilities.
Northeast and Mid-Atlantic ports
| Port | UN-LOCODE | City / Province | Main cargo role |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | USNYC | New York | Containers, consumer goods and vehicles |
| Philadelphia, Pa | USPHI | Philadelphia | Containers, fruit, automobiles and project cargo |
| Norfolk, Va | USNFK | Norfolk | Containers, vehicles and military-related cargo |
| Baltimore | USBAL | Baltimore | Vehicles, roll-on/roll-off and general cargo |
| Boston Ma | USBOS | Boston Ma | Regional containers, project cargo and general freight |
| Newark | USZNA | Newark | Container terminal activity within the New York market |
Gulf Coast
Gulf ports support energy, petrochemical, agricultural, container and project-cargo supply chains across the central and southern United States.
Gulf Coast ports
| Port | UN-LOCODE | City / Province | Main cargo role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | USHOU | Houston | Containers, energy products, chemicals and project cargo |
| Mobile | USMOB | Mobile | Containers, forest products, steel and project cargo |
| New Orleans, La | USNOL | New Orleans | Bulk, agricultural exports, containers and breakbulk |
| Tampa, Fl | USTAM | Tampa | Bulk commodities, containers and regional general cargo |
| Miami | USMIA | Miami | Caribbean, Latin America and time-sensitive cargo |
Southeast Atlantic
Southeast Atlantic gateways serve fast-growing distribution markets, automotive supply chains, containers and roll-on/roll-off cargo.
Southeast Atlantic ports
| Port | UN-LOCODE | City / Province | Main cargo role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Savannah | USSAV | Savannah | Containers, vehicles and distribution cargo |
| Charleston, Sc | USCHA | Chattanooga | Containers, automobiles and industrial cargo |
| Jacksonville, Fl | USJAC | Jacksonville | Vehicles, containers and roll-on/roll-off cargo |
| Wilmington | USWTN | Wilmington | Containers, agricultural products and general cargo |
Great Lakes and Inland Network
The Great Lakes and inland network connect maritime gateways with manufacturing, agricultural and consumer markets. Some records are inland or intermodal locations rather than ocean-facing seaports.
Great Lakes and inland freight locations
| Port | UN-LOCODE | City / Province | Main cargo role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | USCHI | Chicago | Inland intermodal distribution and container logistics |
| Cleveland | USCLE | Cleveland | Great Lakes bulk, steel and general cargo |
| Detroit | USDET | Detroit | Automotive, project and Great Lakes cargo |
| Buffalo | USBUF | Buffalo | Great Lakes bulk and regional industrial cargo |
| Memphis | USMEM | Memphis | Inland distribution, air cargo and multimodal freight |
| Louisville | USLUI | Louisville | Inland distribution and multimodal freight |
United States Port Codes and UN-LOCODEs
UN/LOCODEs provide standardized location identifiers used in shipping documents, booking systems, customs workflows and transport data exchanges.
City-Level and Terminal-Level Records
A city-level location and an individual terminal or facility record may use different identifiers or naming conventions. The correct record should be matched to the bill of lading, booking confirmation, terminal appointment and customs documentation.
How to Verify a Port Code
Verify the location against the UNECE UN/LOCODE reference and compare it with the relevant carrier or terminal record. The Ecer Freight port directory can be used to review indexed codes and port detail pages.
Shipping from United States: Main Trade Lanes
Transit times are indicative port-to-port ranges and vary with service rotation, transshipment, equipment, customs clearance, congestion and seasonal conditions.
United States to East Asia
Transpacific services connect Pacific gateways with manufacturing and consumer markets in East Asia.
United States to Northern Europe
Atlantic services support industrial, retail, chemical and project-cargo flows between United States and Northern Europe.
United States to Latin America
Gulf, Atlantic and South Florida gateways serve Caribbean, Central American and South American trade.
United States to Middle East and South Asia
Services generally use Atlantic or Pacific gateways with direct or transshipment connections.
Data Sources and Methodology
This page separates Ecer Freight indexed coverage from official or port-authority operating statistics. Public throughput figures may use different terminal, port-complex and calendar-year boundaries.
- Ecer Freight Ports Database — first-party database snapshot from Nov 2026 with 467 United States port and terminal records indexed.
- UNECE — UN/LOCODE country and location-code reference framework.
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — waterborne commerce, navigation and port-related cargo data.
- Bureau of Transportation Statistics — United States freight, transportation and intermodal data.
- United States Census Bureau — official international trade and merchandise-flow statistics.
- National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency — maritime location and navigational reference information.
United States Port FAQ
How many seaports does United States have?
United States has 467 seaports and terminals indexed by Ecer Freight in the Nov 2026 database snapshot. The figure is indexed coverage, not a legal census of every maritime facility.
What is the busiest port in United States?
Los Angeles (USLAX) and Long Beach (USLGB) are generally the leading United States container gateways by annual volume, while the precise order depends on the reporting year and whether port complexes are consolidated.
What does a United States port code look like?
A United States UN/LOCODE uses the country prefix US followed by three location characters, for example USLAX, USLGB, USNYC or USHOU.
Which United States regions handle the most international cargo?
Southern California, the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, the Gulf Coast, the Southeast Atlantic coast and the Pacific Northwest are the principal international freight regions. Great Lakes and inland locations extend these gateways into domestic distribution networks.
Are all records in the United States port directory ocean seaports?
No. The indexed set includes maritime ports, inland-waterway locations, intermodal gateways and terminal records. City-level and facility-level records should be checked against the shipping instruction and carrier booking.
How current are the United States port statistics?
The indexed database snapshot is from Nov 2026. The latest complete statistical year used for the page is generally 2025, but individual port authorities may publish figures on different schedules and with different scopes.
How can shippers request a United States sea freight quote?
Shippers can compare indicative full-container and less-than-container-load services through the FCL and LCL rate tools. Final pricing depends on origin, destination, cargo details, equipment, sailing date, surcharges and customs requirements.
Editorial note: Port codes and indexed coverage are maintained from the Ecer Freight database and reviewed against public maritime, transport and port-authority information. Throughput, rankings and transit times are time-sensitive, use the stated reporting year where available, and should be confirmed against the carrier, terminal or relevant authority before booking. The page is reviewed and updated as new quarterly data becomes available.
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