Indiana Ports Receive Top Rankings

For the first time, national freight data show Indiana ports ranked No. 1 among inland ports and second in Great Lakes ports by total tons shipped.

Changes in statistical boundaries proposed by Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb and Ports of Indiana meant the Corps of Engineers reclassified Indiana’s Lake Michigan and Ohio River terminals as north and south districts instead of multiple small port districts, leading to the increase in ranking.

According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ “2021 Transportation Facts & Information,” released in May, the Southern Indiana Port District handled 24.2 million tons in 2021, which ranked first among all inland ports and ahead of second-ranked Port of Pittsburgh’s 16.4 million tons. The document was compiled by the Corps’ Navigation and Civil Works Decision Support Center and is based on total tons shipped in 2021, the most recent data available.

On the Great Lakes, the Northern Indiana Port District handled 30.3 million tons, which was 2.2 million tons behind the first-ranked Port of Duluth-Superior, which includes terminals in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Ports of Indiana noted that Indiana has the largest port district located in a single state.

Overall, the Northern Indiana Port District ranked as the 20th largest port in the country, and the Southern Indiana Port District ranked 26th.

“It’s extremely gratifying to see the new rankings reflect Indiana’s sizable impact on this country’s maritime commerce and the importance of our ports,” Holcomb said. “As governor of Indiana, my mission is to increase Indiana’s global competitiveness, and our ports play a critical role by bringing the world to Indiana and connecting Indiana to the world. I am grateful to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for its ongoing efforts to modernize cargo data collection and recognizing the significance of our ports.”