10 Busiest U.S. Ports in 2025 (and How to Choose One)

In its 2024 Review of Maritime Transport, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) states that marine vessels carry a whopping 80 percent of global trade — a statistic which reflects maritime transportation’s overwhelming and ever-growing impact on international commerce.

Ports bookend every maritime shipment. They’re critical logistics hubs where cargo is delivered, handled, transferred, and stored before and after transportation. The U.S. is home to numerous seaports and inland ports, each with distinct strengths and weaknesses.

Whether importing cargo or exporting it, shippers must understand the strategic advantages and disadvantages of choosing certain U.S. ports over others. A port location that saves you money on ocean freight might end up costing you more in delays or inland transportation, so it’s all about finding the right balance.

As a licensed Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC) and international project freight forwarder, ATS International frequently works with North America’s ports. We’ve built up tons of experience with each domestic port, and regularly analyze their attributes to help our customers find the best routes for their unique shipping needs.

To help you make the right choice for your cargo, we’ve compiled this list of the top 10 busiest U.S. ports for 2025 according to the twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) volumes reported in 2024. Following the list, you’ll also find our tips for determining which port will be the best fit for your freight. 

By the time you’re finished reading, you’ll have everything you need to confidently choose U.S. ports for your cargo in 2025. Let’s dive in! 

Size Matters: A Note on TEUs

First, a quick explainer. This list was determined by reviewing the total volume of TEUs of containerized cargo reportedly moved by major U.S. ports in 2024. But what is a TEU?

A TEU is the standard unit of measurement for containerized cargo volume and the capacity of container ships. One TEU is equivalent to one standard 20-foot container, making it a convenient shorthand for seaports to use in assessing throughput.

Most ports distinguish between “loaded” and “empty” TEUs in their reporting; these terms reflect whether a container was full or empty when it moved through the port in question. 

10 Busiest U.S. Ports for 2025

Moving freight into or out of a notably “busy” port has its pros and cons. Advantages include the capacity, equipment, and experience of a high-traffic port and its workers; the high traffic itself (and the resulting possibility of port congestion and delays) can certainly be seen as a disadvantage. 

So, why recommend that importers and exporters needing to move freight through a U.S. port start by reviewing the busiest ones? Because these 10 ports are the gold standard of port activity in the U.S. 

Each year, companies around the world trust the ports on this list with the health and efficiency of their supply chains — and with millions of TEUs of cargo. They’re the busiest ports in America for good reason: They’re strategically located and they get the job done right. 

As this list features East Coast, West Coast, and Southern U.S. ports, there’s bound to be a location that makes sense for your shipments. 

1. Los Angeles
2. Long Beach
3. New York and New Jersey
4. Savannah
5. Houston
6. Virginia
7. Ports of South Carolina
8. Seattle-Tacoma
9. Oakland
10. Jacksonville

All port data is provided by the port in question for the calendar year 2024 unless otherwise noted.

Port of Los Angeles

The Port of Los Angeles has worn the title of “Busiest Port in North America” for more than 20 years. Over its history, the Port of Los Angeles has efficiently handled the highest volume of containerized cargo of any in the Western Hemisphere. Investments in sustainability, technology, its facilities, and its intermodal infrastructure have made the Port of Los Angeles one of the most successful in the world.

2024 Total TEUs: 10,297,352

Percent Change YoY: +19.32%

2024 Total Imports by TEUs: 5,364,209 (5,356,680 loaded)

2024 Total Exports by TEUs: 4,933,142 (1,494,201 loaded)

Port of Long Beach

The Port of Long Beach is one of the busiest ports in the world, consistently handling more than $200 billion in trade value annually. Goods intended for, and originating from, every corner of the U.S. are handled through this port. Today, the Port of Long Beach has connections to 217 of the world’s seaports and continually invests in its infrastructure and facilities.

2024 Total TEUs: 9,649,724

Percent Change YoY: +20.34%

2024 Total Imports by TEUs: 4,900,628 (4,729,552 loaded)

2024 Total Exports by TEUs: 3,542,061 (1,207,036 loaded)

Port of New York and New Jersey

According to the Port Authority, the Port of New York and New Jersey marked its third-busiest year ever in 2024, handling 8.7 million TEUs — a number eclipsed only by the pandemic-driven annual totals of 2021 and 2022. The port’s strong performance was more than an 11 percent jump over 2023’s total, despite the looming threat of a potential labor disruption throughout much of the year. 

2024 Total TEUs: 8,697,767

Percent Change YoY: +11.4%

2024 Total Imports by TEUs: 4,462,407 (4,438,854 loaded)

2024 Total Exports by TEUs: 4,235,360 (1,354,421 loaded)

Port of Savannah

The Port of Savannah is home to two deepwater terminals (Garden City and Ocean) which handle thousands of container shipments to and from the U.S. via marine vessels every day. With nearly 10,000 feet of contiguous berth space, immediate access to I-95 and I-16, and two Class One railroads, it is the single largest container terminal in America.

2024 Total TEUs: 5,545,557

Percent Change YoY: +12.54%

2024 Total Imports by TEUs: 2,791,130 (2,739,628 loaded)

2024 Total Exports by TEUs: 2,754,427 (1,376,887 loaded)

Port Houston

Port Houston is located on the Houston Ship Channel and operates eight terminals along this 52-mile band. The port celebrated a landmark year in 2024, achieving a record-breaking 53,066,219 million tons of cargo. In addition to its two highly efficient container facilities, Port Houston runs one of the largest breakbulk terminals in the U.S.

2024 Total TEUs: 4,139,991

Percent Change YoY: +8%

2024 Total Imports by TEUs: 2,071,812 (1,900,028 loaded)

2024 Total Exports by TEUs: 2,068,099 (1,497,749 loaded)

Port of Virginia

Located in Norfolk, the Port of Virginia operates a total of six terminals. According to the Virginia Port Authority,* the Port of Virginia achieved its second-best fiscal year (FY) performance in the port’s history in FY 2024. In Feb. 2024, the port debuted the East Coast’s widest shipping channel and plans to open a 55-foot-deep commercial channel — the deepest on the East Coast — in 2025.

*Note the Port of Virginia reports annual data by fiscal year, not calendar year. It also does not provide total import and export TEUs; the import and export data below represents loaded containers only.

2024 Total TEUs: 3,499,639

Percent Change YoY: +2%

2024 Loaded Imports by TEUs: 1,625,267

2024 Loaded Exports by TEUs: 1,139,925

Ports of South Carolina (Charleston & Georgetown)

The South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) operates one sea terminal in Charleston and another in Georgetown. Together, these ports consistently handle millions of TEUs each year* and support 1 in 9 jobs statewide, according to the SCPA’s annual report. In FY 2024, the ports made $296 million of strategic investments to expand capacity, modernize terminals and facilities, and enable full rail capability between Charleston and inland markets.

*Note the SCPA reports annual data by fiscal year, not calendar year. It also does not distinguish between loaded and empty TEUs in import and export totals; it separates total empty TEUs as a standalone metric.

2024 Total TEUs: 2,496,899

Percent Change YoY: -3.27%

2024 Total Imports by TEUs: 1,245,000

2024 Total Exports by TEUs: 697,000

2024 Total Empty TEUs: 555,000

Related Content: 8 Best Warehousing and Transloading Providers in Charleston, SC

Port of Seattle-Tacoma

The Ports of Seattle and Tacoma, located on Puget Sound (an inlet of the Pacific Ocean), are operated by the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) and are leading U.S. container ports. Marine cargo operations at NWSA facilities drive $12.4 billion in economic activity in Washington state, according to a 2019 economic impact analysis. 

*Note the NWSA distinguishes between international and domestic TEUs in its reporting. It also does not distinguish between loaded and empty TEUs in import and export totals; it separates total empty TEUs as a standalone metric.

2024 Total TEUs: 3,340,733

Percent Change YoY: +12.3%

2024 Total Loaded Imports by TEUs: 1,289,198

2024 Total Loaded Exports by TEUs: 636,507

2024 Total Empty TEUs: 684,540

2024 Total Domestic TEUs: 730,488

Port of Oakland (Oakland Seaport)

The Oakland Seaport is Northern California’s premier port, loading and unloading more than 99 percent of the containerized goods moving through the region today. Part of the Port of Oakland (which also encompasses the Oakland Airport), the 1,300-acre seaport includes four marine terminals, 25 ship-to-shore cranes, 14 shipping lines, and handles more than 2 million TEUs annually.

2024 Total TEUs: 2,262,921

Percent Change YoY: +9.55%

2024 Total Imports by TEUs: 1,127,713 (964,240 loaded)

2024 Total Exports by TEUs: 1,135,209 (776,102 loaded)

Port of Jacksonville

The Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) operates Florida’s largest container port, which also happens to be one of the nation’s largest vehicle-handling ports. The port moved over 10 million tons of cargo in FY 2024, 11.7 percent of which (about 1.2 million tons) were automobiles. 

*Note that JAXPORT reports annual data by fiscal year, not calendar year. Its complete 2023/24 annual report was not yet available online at the time of this article’s publication; the total import and export data below is sourced from Savills Research and Data Services and reflects the 2023 calendar year. 

2024 Total TEUs: 1,340,412

Percent Change YoY: +2.05%

2023 Total Imports by TEUs: 616,868 (326,518 loaded)

2023 Total Exports by TEUs: 681,143 (520,653 loaded)

How to Select a Port For Your Shipment

Any of the ports on this list will likely have the equipment and infrastructure to handle your freight — but which will be the perfect fit for the specifics of your shipment? Choosing the wrong port of import or export could strain your budget by increasing your inland transportation expenses, or strain your timelines by being too far from your freight’s final destination.

To choose a port that aligns with your cargo’s transportation concept and goals, here are three things you (and your transportation provider) should consider:

1. Your freight’s origin and destination
2. Your target delivery date and budget
3. Your cargo size

1. Your Freight’s Origin and Destination

Your cargo’s origin and destination points are major determining factors of its port of import/export. For example, a western port like the Port of Los Angeles is best for containerized cargo destined for a Chinese port like Hankou or Guangzhou. There are direct maritime trade lanes between these ports, offering your cargo a direct route to its destination country.  

Consider where your freight is coming from and where it’s ultimately headed. Which U.S. port makes the most sense considering the geographic realities of its route?

Related: Standard vs. Routed Export Shipments: A Comprehensive Breakdown

2. Your Target Delivery Date and Budget

Your timelines and budget are also significant factors in this decision. In fact, balancing time, money, and geography is one of the primary skills of a great freight forwarder or international transportation provider. 

Imagine a shipment originating in Boston, Massachusetts destined for China. While a Californian port is technically the closest U.S. port to China geographically, using that port will likely be exceedingly expensive. 

Why? Because the freight must first travel all the way across the country from Massachusetts to California and domestic trucking prices add up quickly — even for a lone twenty-foot container.

The shipper in this scenario would be better off shipping their cargo from a port closer to Boston if their timelines allow for it. While this could potentially add weeks to the shipment’s transit time, they won’t need to pay through the nose for cross-country on-carriage expenses.

Talk to your transportation provider about your target delivery date, budget, and any flexibility therein. They’ll be able to help you determine which port (and modes of overland transportation) make the most sense for your freight. 

3. Your Cargo Size

As a shipment’s size increases, so do the costs associated with moving it. Conversely, your transportation options for getting cargo from Point A to Point B shrink.

That means that if you’re importing or exporting oversize/overweight (OSOW), roll-on/roll-off (ro/ro), or breakbulk cargo, you’ll want to factor in permitting, utility/escort services, crane appointments at the ports, and travel restrictions that may apply to your freight. 

Each of these elements will impact your price differently depending on the port you select. For example, the infrastructure in the eastern half of the U.S. is generally less permissive of OSOW freight movement than in other places in the country: Bridges are lower, streets are narrower and corners are sharper in this part of the U.S. 

That means that, depending on your shipment’s dimensions, it may be overly expensive — or even logistically impossible —  to use certain ports due to the realities of routing it.

Again, we recommend talking with your transportation provider about the size of your cargo and any challenges it may present during transportation to and from ports. 

A good provider will have extensive knowledge of these variables and can help you find the best-fit port for your shipment’s specifications.

Related: Customs Clearance Process When Importing Freight Into the U.S.

Avoid Costly Mistakes: Finding the Right International Transportation Strategy

Choosing the right U.S. port for your import or export shipments in 2025 isn’t just about picking the busiest one — it’s about finding the best balance between cost, transit time, and infrastructure capabilities.

The ports on this list handle millions of TEUs annually for a reason, offering reliability, efficiency, and access to key trade lanes. But selecting the wrong port can lead to higher inland transportation costs, delays, and logistical headaches.

Understanding your freight’s origin and destination, budget constraints, and cargo size can help you make a smart decision that keeps your supply chain moving smoothly. And if you need expert guidance, an experienced transportation provider can help you navigate the complexities of international shipping.

Speaking of costs, port selection is just one factor influencing your overall freight spend. To help you dive deeper into the financial side of global logistics, we’ve written an article answering the question, “What Does International Shipping Cost?”

After reading, you’ll have a grasp of the key elements that impact your international shipping costs, plus some strategies for saving some money on your next import or export.