The Port of Houston is a 25-mile long complex. It is made up of the Port Houston Authority and 150+ private industrial companies located along the Houston Ship Channel.
The Houston Ship Channel was established in 1837. The Galveston Bay is a shallow water channel, 30 miles long (48 km), 17 miles wide (21 km) and 7 to 9 feet deep (2.1 to 2.7 m). Part of the Intracoastal Waterway extends through the lower part of Galveston Bay.
The Port of Houston Authority owns the Houston Ship Channel. It has 43 general cargo wharves available for public hire and two liquid cargo wharves.
Turning Basin Terminal
- Located at head the of the Houston Ship Channel
- Eight miles from downtown Houston
- 37 public wharves offer up to 806 feet of quay
- Over 1.9 million square feet of covered storage
- 3.3 million square feet open storage
- Accommodates vessels up to 750 feet
- Set up for rail and truck direct loading
Wharf 32
- Heavy lift cargo facility
- 1000 pound per square foot of load capacity
- 806 linear foot of berthing space
- 18.5 acres of paved marshaling area
- Long-term storage available
Houston Public Elevator No. 2
- 6.2 million Bushel capacity grain elevator
Woodhouse Terminal
Bulk Materials Handling Plant
- Dry bulk export/import
- Nine miles downstream from Turning Basin
Care Terminal
- Accommodates heavy lift cargo and project cargo up to 1,000 pounds per square foot
- Over 1,100 feet of berthing space
- 15 acres of paved open storage area
- 45,900 square feet warehouse space
Jacintoport Terminal
- For bagged cargo and refrigerated product
- Uses SpiralVeyor bagged cargo handling system
- Onsite equipment can package corn, oats, rice, soybeans, wheat, etc.
- Waterfront refrigerated and frozen storage facility
- 200,000 square feet of temperature humidity controlled storage
- Enclosed truck and rail bays
- Three berths
- 1,836 foot quay
- 7.5 acres of paved cargo marshaling area
- 82,500 square foot transit shed adjacent to berth #3
- 437,000 square foot transit shed
Barbours Cut Container Terminal
- Six berths
- 6,000 foot quay
- 13 wharf cranes
- Ro-ro platform
- A LASH dock
- Paved marshaling area
- Two 100,000 square foot transit sheds
- Onsite rail ramp
Bayport Container and Cruise Terminal
- Seven container berths
Bayport Terminal Complex
- Chemical specialty facilities
- Two private owned liquid cargo terminals operate for public use
