The St. Louis Metro Port system remains the nation’s most efficient inland port system, according to the latest U.S. Army Corps of Engineers data. It ranks first in cargo tonnage per river mile and fourth in total tonnage among seven major inland port districts.

The 70-mile system handled 24.8 million tons of cargo in 2024, averaging 354,286 tons per river mile. That is more than double the efficiency of each of the three higher-volume inland port districts. Mary Lamie of Bi-State Development and the St. Louis Regional Freightway said that efficiency “translates directly into value for shippers and carriers.”

The 15-mile Mississippi River corridor known as the “Ag Coast of America” has 16 barge-transfer facilities that can handle more than 150 barges daily. Among recent investments, America’s Central Port completed an 80,000-bushel grain bin and is advancing a $5 million general cargo dock expansion. Jefferson County Port Authority cut loading times by more than half with new cargo-handling equipment. Kaskaskia Regional Port District is advancing about $26 million in rail and dock improvements.

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