Port of Philadelphia
Encyclopedia
The Port of Philadelphia, within the municipal boundaries of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
is located near the navigable end of the Delaware River
, 94 miles (151.3 km) south of New York City
and 134 miles (215.7 km) north of Washington, D.C.
Port facilities are serviced by three Class I
railroads: CP Rail, CSX, and Norfolk Southern and provide service to major eastern Canadian points as well as midwestern, southern and southeastern U.S. destinations. Terminal facilities are located in close proximity to I-95 and I-76, and over 400 local trucking companies operate in the region, with a combined total of over 20,000 trucks.
cargo, and steel. Pier 84 is a dedicated cocoa products facility. Five piers, including Piers 38, 40, 78, and 80 comprise the Port's forest products center, handling newsprint, wood pulp, lumber, coated paper, and other forest products.
, the 22nd busiest port. The port in 2007 handled 167,413 Twenty Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) compared with the busiest U.S. port, the Port of Los Angeles
which handled 5,496,716 TEUs, over thirty times more volume, the same year. While not listed in a world ranking of ports by container traffic, based on the volume shipped through Philadelphia, it would rank well below the top 100, as the 100th busiest port, Damietta
in Egypt, handled 894,000 TEUs, more than five times the number of TEUs as Philadelphia
In terms of cargo tonnage, the port in 2007 ranked 24th behind Pascagoula, Mississippi
under that measure of activity. The port in 2007 handled 35.1 million tons of cargo compared to the busiest U.S. port by tonnage, the port of South Louisiana, which handled 229.0 million tons, over six times the tonnage of Philadelphia, the same year. While not listed in a world ranking of ports by tonnage, based on the tonnage shipped through Philadelphia it would rank as approximately the 120th busiest port in the world.
The port itself claims that it is the #1 perishables port in the United States. The combined ports along the Delaware River, which include Philadelphia and Wilmington together rank #3 in the U.S. for steel imports, and are among the nation’s key entry points for forest products and cocoa.
The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority, the operator of the port, and local unions have claimed that dredging the port an additional five feet would increase traffic to the port. Opponents of the dredging have claimed that the dredged material would contain extremely hazardous materials and would yield little incremental shipping traffic, while requiring the spending of millions of dollars in public funds.
and Norwegian Cruise Line
, although both lines have more frequent sailings out of the port of Baltimore, which is closer to the outlet for the Atlantic Ocean, and enables ships to reach international waters (and therefore open their casinos) more quickly than when sailing from Philadelphia.
The fact that Pennsylvania
is defined as not having a seacoast under United States Department of Commerce
concepts could be considered to make Philadelphia one of the largest fresh water ports in the world, although the Delaware River
is tidal as far as Trenton
.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
is located near the navigable end of the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
, 94 miles (151.3 km) south of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and 134 miles (215.7 km) north of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Port facilities are serviced by three Class I
Class I railroad
A Class I railroad in the United States and Mexico, or a Class I rail carrier in Canada, is a large freight railroad company, as classified based on operating revenue.Smaller railroads are classified as Class II and Class III...
railroads: CP Rail, CSX, and Norfolk Southern and provide service to major eastern Canadian points as well as midwestern, southern and southeastern U.S. destinations. Terminal facilities are located in close proximity to I-95 and I-76, and over 400 local trucking companies operate in the region, with a combined total of over 20,000 trucks.
Terminals
The Port consists of a series of marine terminals, each with specialized capabilities. The 112 acre (0.45324832 km²) Packer Marine Terminal handles containers, steel products, frozen meat, fruit, heavy lift projects, and paper. The 116 acre (0.46943576 km²) Tioga Marine Terminal is home to Philadelphia’s Chilean fruit business and also handles containers, breakbulkBreak bulk cargo
In shipping, break bulk cargo or general cargo is a term that covers a great variety of goods that must be loaded individually, and not in intermodal containers nor in bulk as with oil or grain. Ships that carry this sort of cargo are often called general cargo ships...
cargo, and steel. Pier 84 is a dedicated cocoa products facility. Five piers, including Piers 38, 40, 78, and 80 comprise the Port's forest products center, handling newsprint, wood pulp, lumber, coated paper, and other forest products.
Shipping
It handles a large amount of containerized traffic, ranking in 2007 as the 23rd busiest U.S. port by container volume, following Gulfport, MississippiGulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson. It is the larger of the two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. As of the...
, the 22nd busiest port. The port in 2007 handled 167,413 Twenty Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) compared with the busiest U.S. port, the Port of Los Angeles
Port of Los Angeles
The Port of Los Angeles, also called Los Angeles Harbor and WORLDPORT L.A, is a port complex that occupies of land and water along of waterfront. The port is located on San Pedro Bay in the San Pedro neighborhood of Los Angeles, approximately south of downtown...
which handled 5,496,716 TEUs, over thirty times more volume, the same year. While not listed in a world ranking of ports by container traffic, based on the volume shipped through Philadelphia, it would rank well below the top 100, as the 100th busiest port, Damietta
Damietta
Damietta , also known as Damiata, or Domyat, is a port and the capital of the Damietta Governorate in Egypt. It is located at the intersection between the Mediterranean Sea and the Nile, about north of Cairo.-History:...
in Egypt, handled 894,000 TEUs, more than five times the number of TEUs as Philadelphia
In terms of cargo tonnage, the port in 2007 ranked 24th behind Pascagoula, Mississippi
Pascagoula, Mississippi
Pascagoula is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. It is the principal city of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, as a part of the Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. The population was 26,200 at the 2000 census...
under that measure of activity. The port in 2007 handled 35.1 million tons of cargo compared to the busiest U.S. port by tonnage, the port of South Louisiana, which handled 229.0 million tons, over six times the tonnage of Philadelphia, the same year. While not listed in a world ranking of ports by tonnage, based on the tonnage shipped through Philadelphia it would rank as approximately the 120th busiest port in the world.
The port itself claims that it is the #1 perishables port in the United States. The combined ports along the Delaware River, which include Philadelphia and Wilmington together rank #3 in the U.S. for steel imports, and are among the nation’s key entry points for forest products and cocoa.
The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority, the operator of the port, and local unions have claimed that dredging the port an additional five feet would increase traffic to the port. Opponents of the dredging have claimed that the dredged material would contain extremely hazardous materials and would yield little incremental shipping traffic, while requiring the spending of millions of dollars in public funds.
Cruise Ships
The port is currently served by two cruise lines: Royal Caribbean InternationalRoyal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean International is a Norwegian and American cruise line brand based in Miami, Florida and owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.. With 42 ships in service under 5 different brands and one more under construction, it controls a 25.6% share of the world cruise market...
and Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line is a company operating cruise ships, headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida. It began operations in 1966 under the name Norwegian Caribbean Line. The company is best known for its Freestyle Cruising concept, which means that there are no set times or...
, although both lines have more frequent sailings out of the port of Baltimore, which is closer to the outlet for the Atlantic Ocean, and enables ships to reach international waters (and therefore open their casinos) more quickly than when sailing from Philadelphia.
The fact that Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
is defined as not having a seacoast under United States Department of Commerce
United States Department of Commerce
The United States Department of Commerce is the Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with promoting economic growth. It was originally created as the United States Department of Commerce and Labor on February 14, 1903...
concepts could be considered to make Philadelphia one of the largest fresh water ports in the world, although the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
is tidal as far as Trenton
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
.
See also
- Delaware River Port AuthorityDelaware River Port AuthorityThe Delaware River Port Authority is a bi-state instrumentality created by a Congressionally approved interstate compact between the governments of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey...
- Port of Pittsburgh CommissionPort of Pittsburgh CommissionThe Port of Pittsburgh Commission is a government agency of the Commonweath of Pennsylvania that manages the port of Pittsburgh, which is the second-largest inland port in the United States.-M-70:...