Port 101
Port NOLA Advantage
The Port of New Orleans is a diverse deepwater port uniquely located on the Mississippi River near the Gulf of Mexico. This naturally strategic location allows unparalleled access to 30-plus major inland hubs such as Dallas, Memphis, Chicago and Canada via 14,500 miles of waterways, six Class I railroads and interstate roadways. The alignment with New Orleans Public Belt Railroad strengthens our position as an integrated hub and supports our vision for regional freight-based economic development.
Port NOLA generates approximately $100 million in revenue annually through our four lines of business — cargo, rail, industrial real estate and cruises. As a self-sustaining political subdivision of the State of Louisiana, we receive zero tax dollars.
ECONOMIC CATALYST
Port NOLA’s mission is to drive economic prosperity throughout our tri-parish jurisdiction: Jefferson, Orleans and St. Bernard. We collaborate with state and local partners to ensure that we can continue to be a vital link to the world for businesses and consumers — throughout Louisiana and beyond.
Our role is to plan, build and maintain the infrastructure necessary to grow jobs and economic opportunity related to trade and commerce. The Port’s Strategic Master Plan, published in Spring 2018, is a bold vision that paves a path forward to ensure that Port NOLA meets market demand to lead the region to greater sustained prosperity.
Port NOLA connects Louisiana businesses to the world and creates family-supporting jobs.
- Port-related industries generate 1 in 5 jobs in Louisiana.
- The average salary of companies located on Port NOLA property is $74,000 per year — 51% higher than the average local salary.
DIVERSE CARGO CAPABILITIES
Port NOLA offers a diverse cargo profile to serve our global supply chain partners, including container, breakbulk, heavy lift, temperature-sensitive cargo and bulk transload.
Containerized Cargo Momentum: Port NOLA is the only deepwater container port in Louisiana. Volumes surpassed the 500,000 TEU threshold six years in a row. We continue to attract new services and ocean carriers, including all three major mega-container carrier alliances, direct all-water container service to Asia and direct South America service to Brazil.
Premium Breakbulk Capabilities: Breakbulk and heavy lift cargo are a strong focus at Port NOLA. The Port has 13,511 feet of berthing space available at six dedicated breakbulk terminals, as well as a 140,000-square-foot dockside cold storage facility, the Henry Clay Avenue Refrigerated Terminal.
Value-added Logistics Hub: Port NOLA’s diverse industrial real estate portfolio includes land and assets with access to rail, barge and truck. Our industrial tenants and partners provide value-added activities that support cargo growth such as warehousing, distribution, transloading, manufacturing, packaging and other activities.
CRUISING AHEAD
Cruising from New Orleans continues to grow in popularity with year-round ocean and inland river cruise itineraries. Cruise line commitment, proximity to New Orleans amenities and attractions, a thriving international airport and large drive-in market position Port NOLA for more cruise industry growth.
Port NOLA handled more than 1 million cruise passenger movements five years in a row — that’s equal to the population of six parishes in the metro New Orleans area, including Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. James and St. John.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
Port NOLA is committed to smart growth and serves as a gatekeeper to over 30 miles of urban waterfront. Our award-winning environmental programs are Green Marine Certified and third-party audited.