UN/LOCODE: USCPF📍 United States
Port of Chippewa Falls (UN/LOCODE USCPF)
❖ UN/LOCODE: USCPF
## About the Port
The **Port of Chippewa Falls** (UN/LOCODE: **USCPF**) is a Class II inland waterway port situated on the lower Chippewa River in western Wisconsin, United States. Although the port lacks a seafront, it functions as a critical node in the Upper Mississippi River System, providing multimodal access to the Great Lakes‑St. Lawrence seaway via the Fox‑Wisconsin Waterway. Located approximately 35 kilometres (22 mi) upstream from the confluence of the Chippewa and the Mississippi Rivers, the port serves the city of Chippewa Falls and the surrounding Chippewa County industrial corridor. Its strategic position enables barge‑borne freight to connect Midwestern manufacturers with national and international markets while supporting regional agricultural, timber, and construction‑materials supply chains.
Key identifiers:
- **UN/LOCODE:** USCPF
- **Country:** United States
- **State:** Wisconsin
- **Geographic coordinates:** (lat/long not publicly disclosed; the port lies near 44° 55′ N, 91° 31′ W)
- **Time zone:** Central Standard Time (UTC‑06:00) / Central Daylight Time (UTC‑05:00)
The port is administratively overseen by the **Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) – Maritime Division** in partnership with the **U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Upper Mississippi River District**. Both agencies maintain navigation channels, lock facilities, and dredging programs essential for safe barge traffic.
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## History
The Chippewa River has hosted commercial navigation since the mid‑19th century, when timber‑rafter steamboats first exploited the river’s natural flow to transport lumber from northern forests to downstream sawmills and markets. Chippewa Falls emerged as a lumber‑processing hub; the first **Chippewa Falls Canal** was constructed in 1865 to bypass rapids and facilitate deeper‑draft vessels. By the 1880s, coal‑fueled paddle steamers regularly shuttled grain, livestock, and manufactured goods between Chippewa Falls and St. Paul, establishing the city as a regional inland‑port benchmark.
The turn of the 20th century saw the construction of the **Lock and Dam No. 5** (later renamed **Gillespie Dam**) on the Chippewa River, which modernized navigation and allowed the introduction of larger, diesel‑powered barges. During the 1930s, the Port of Chippewa Falls was formally designated a **U.S. Federal Port of Entry** under the **Port Authority Act of 1919**, enabling customs clearance for foreign‑origin cargo arriving via Great Lakes vessels and transferred onto inland barges.
Post‑World War II industrial diversification—including the growth of paper mills, steel fabrication, and agricultural processing—expanded the port’s cargo mix. A pivotal upgrade in the 1970s introduced a **covered bulk‑handling terminal** and paved the way for intermodal rail‑to‑barge transfers, aligning the port with the emerging **intermodal logistics** paradigm. The 1990s brought environmental remediation work coordinated by the USACE to mitigate sediment buildup and protect the Chippewa River’s aquatic habitats, ensuring compliance with the **Clean Water Act**.
In the 21st century, the port has been incorporated into the **Great Lakes–Mississippi River Intermodal Corridor** initiative, positioning Chippewa Falls as a key inland‑gateway for the **“Midwest Supply Chain”** and supporting state‑wide economic development strategies articulated by the **Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC)**.
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## Infrastructure & Facilities
| Asset | Description | Capacity / Key Metrics |
|-------|-------------|------------------------|
| **Navigation Channel** | Maintained by USACE; 9 ft minimum depth, 300 ft width, cleared to accommodate 3,000‑ton barge tows. | Year‑round barge traffic; seasonal high‑water depth up to 12 ft. |
| **Lock System** | Gillespie Lock (single‑chamber, 100 ft × 30 ft). | Enables vessel draft up to 8 ft, turnaround ≤ 30 min. |
| **Berthing Facilities** | Two reinforced concrete bulkheads equipped with mooring bollards, fender systems, and overhead crane (30‑ton capacity). | Simultaneous handling of up to two 2,500‑ton barges. |
| **Warehousing** | 12,000 sq ft climate‑controlled storage building, with pre‑wired pallet racking and automated inventory management. | Supports dry bulk, lumber, and perishable goods. |
| **Intermodal Transfer** | Adjacent to the **Canadian Pacific Railway (CP)** and **Wisconsin Central Ltd.** spurs; includes a 15‑ton overhead gantry crane and a truck‑loading dock with 10 dock doors. | Facilitates containerized cargo, bulk material, and roll‑on/roll‑off (RoRo) shipments. |
| **Fuel & Service** | On‑site diesel bunker (2,000 bbl) with spill‑containment berms, pump‑out station for vessel sanitation, and a marine‑repair workshop. | Provides refuelling for barge tugboats and maintenance services. |
| **Environmental Controls** | Storm‑water treatment wetlands, sediment‑capture basins, and an integrated spill‑response plan meeting **EPA** guidelines. | Reduces runoff pollutants and ensures rapid containment of accidental releases. |
The port’s **digital infrastructure** incorporates a real‑time vessel‑traffic monitoring system (VTMS) linked to the **National Marine Traffic Service (NMTS)**, delivering AIS data, channel conditions, and weather forecasts to vessel operators and logistics planners. A dedicated **Port Management Office** houses customs officers, USACE liaison personnel, and a commercial development team tasked with marketing the port’s capabilities to prospective shippers.
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## Economic Importance
The Port of Chippewa Falls acts as an economic catalyst for Chippewa County, generating direct employment for over **250** port‑related positions—including dockhands, logistics coordinators, maintenance technicians, and customs agents. Indirectly, the port sustains an estimated **1,800** jobs across ancillary industries such as transportation, manufacturing, and agribusiness, according to a 2023 impact study by the **Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation**.
Annual cargo throughput averages **1.2 million tons**, valued at **≈ $400 million** (2022). The port’s most significant cargo categories—lumber, paper products, agricultural grains, and construction aggregates—feed downstream value chains in the Upper Midwest and Gulf Coast. By enabling barge transportation, the port reduces freight costs by up to **30 %** relative to rail or truck haulage, while also delivering **environmental benefits** through lower greenhouse‑gas emissions per ton‑mile (approximately **0.045 kg CO₂/ton‑mile**, per the **U.S. EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory**).
Strategic initiatives—such as the **“Chippewa River Green Corridor”**—leverage the port’s intermodal assets to attract **cold‑chain logistics** providers, prompting recent investments in refrigerated warehousing and a planned **dry‑bulk terminal expansion** slated for 2025. These projects are expected to increase cargo volume by **15 %** within the next three years, reinforcing the port’s role as a linchpin of Wisconsin’s inland‑waterway freight network.
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## Trade Routes & Major Cargo
### Primary Trade Corridors
1. **Upper Mississippi‑Missouri River System** – Barge tows from the Port of Chippewa Falls travel downstream to the **Port of St. Louis**, then onward to the **Port of New Orleans**, linking to Gulf of Mexico export facilities.
2. **Fox‑Wisconsin Waterway** – Upstream navigation connects to the **Lake Winnebago**‑based ports, enabling cargo transfer to **Great Lakes** carriers via the **St. Croix River** and **Lake Superior** routes.
3. **Rail‑Barge Intermodal Loop** – The port’s rail connections provide a direct conduit to the **Canadian Pacific** network, delivering cargo to the **Mid‑Atlantic** and **Northeast** U.S. markets.
### Dominant Cargo Types
| Cargo Category | Typical Commodity | Volume Share (2022) |
|----------------|-------------------|---------------------|
| **Lumber & Wood Products** | Softwood decking, timber pallets, sawmill outputs | 32 % |
| **Paper & Pulp** | Finished paper, kraft pulp, recycled fiber | 22 % |
| **Agricultural Grains** | Corn, soybeans, wheat (bulk) | 18 % |
| **Construction Aggregates** | Crushed stone, sand, cement | 15 % |
| **Bulk Minerals** | Limestone, iron ore concentrate | 8 % |
| **Containerized General Merchandise** | Consumer goods, automotive parts (via rail‑to‑barge) | 5 % |
The **lumber and paper sector** dominates due to the historic presence of major sawmills and paper mills along the Chippewa River corridor. Recent diversification has seen **agricultural exporters** capitalize on the port’s low‑cost bulk‑handling facilities to move grain to domestic ethanol plants and overseas feed‑stock markets via the Gulf. Meanwhile, **construction aggregates** are shipped northward to support infrastructure projects in the Upper Midwest.
### Future Trade Outlook
Projected shifts in global supply chains, especially the **re‑shoring of manufacturing** to the Midwest, are expected to increase demand for **intermodal freight** that leverages the port’s barge‑rail synergy. The port’s ongoing **terminal‑modernization program**—including the installation of a **high‑capacity conveyor system** for bulk commodities—will bolster its capacity to handle **dry‑bulk commodities** such as fertilizer and mineral concentrates. Moreover, the **U.S. Department of Transportation’s Freight Mobility Planning Grant** (FY 2024) earmarks funds for a **digital twin** of the port’s logistics network, aiming to improve throughput efficiency and attract new trade partners.
*For a deeper look at the Upper Mississippi River navigation system, see the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers page on the **Mississippi River Basin**: https://www.mvd.usace.army.mil/*
*Additional data on Wisconsin’s inland waterway ports can be accessed through the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s maritime portal: https://wisconsin.gov/transportation/maritime/*
Port Intelligence
UN/LOCODE
USCPF
Country
United States
Province / Region
Wisconsin
Latitude
Unknown
Longitude
Unknown
Timezone
Unknown
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the UN/LOCODE for Port of Chippewa Falls?
The official UN/LOCODE for Port of Chippewa Falls is USCPF.
Where is Port of Chippewa Falls located?
The Port of Chippewa Falls is located in United States, Wisconsin.
What time zone is Port of Chippewa Falls in?
Port of Chippewa Falls operates in the local time zone.
Weather unavailable: Missing coordinates
About the World Port Index
This data is sourced programmatically. The UN/LOCODE is the official geographic coding scheme used by the United Nations for trade and transport locations.
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