UN/LOCODE: USLUI📍 United States
Port of Louisville (UN/LOCODE USLUI)
❖ Coordinates: 38.2300°N, -85.7700°E
❖ Time Zone: America/New_York
❖ UN/LOCODE: USLUI
## About the Port
Louisville, designated by the UN/LOCODE **USLUI**, is a critical inland waterway hub situated on the Ohio River at coordinates **38.23 N, -85.77 W** in Kentucky. As the largest inland port on the river system, it serves a 400‑mile (650 km) stretch of the Ohio Waterfront, delivering seamless connectivity between the Atlantic seaboard and the American heartland. The port's time zone is **America/New_York**, aligning its operations with major eastern seaports and logistics centers. Its port authority, the **Louisville Port Authority (LPA)**, collaborates closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to maintain a navigable channel up to 11 feet (3.4 m), ensuring year‑round access for barge traffic.
Louisville is strategically positioned adjacent to the **Port of Louisville and Jefferson County Port Authority**, one of the oldest and most Az further than the city boasts a 20‑mile long terminal land corridor hosting the Hi‑Tech Tides and the LMA – a testament to its ingenuity in leveraging riverine freight. The LPA's facilities cater to both bulk commodities (coal, grain, gypsum) and break‑bulk cargoes, making it a versatile node in the national supply chain.
## History
The section of the Ohio River that passes through Louisville has been a free‑flowing artery of commerce since the late 18th century. Early traders, including the famed *Louisiana Purchase* supply line, used steamboats to haul cotton and manufactured goods from the burgeoning city. The inauguration of the canal era in the 1830 lợi days presented a critical impetus for both trade and the port's growth. By the early 20th century, the port had expanded to support the World War II supply chain, with Liberty and Victory ships anchored for brief transshipment via river barges.
Post-war, the port embraced Largemouth clientele, especially manufacturers, producing an outsized volume of commodity cargo. Louisville’s infrastructure has continually evolved in tandem with shifts in shipping practices—from the rise of barge‑only freight in the 1960s alteration in river navigation to the recent emphasis on environmental compliance and sustainability, evidenced by the installation in 2013 of the Ohio River Clean Water Initiative monitoring stations.
In 1980, the LPA passed the *Louisville Port Authority Act*, granting it broader authority to maintain the waterfront and finance terminal improvements. The LPA’s 2004 expansion built a **38‑berth** facility, the deepest at 28 ft (8.5 m), enabling the accommodation of heavy dredging and modern barge setups for the 2020s hybrid freight market.
## Infrastructure & Facilities
### Terminal Complex
Louisville hosts a **five‑terminal complex**—including the **Rawhide Creek**, **Corn Belt Terminal**, and the **Southern Bulk Terminal**. Each terminal supports specialized cargo apt for the region's agricultural and industrial output:
- **Rawhide Creek** – 7 berths, 20–25 ft depth, dedicated to agricultural grain (corn, soy არა, wheat) and feedstock.
- *Corn Belt Terminal* pop – 6 berths, 28 ft depth, tailored for high‑value bulk goods such as **granite** and **gypsum** used in construction.
- *Southern Bulk Terminal* – 4 ber with 15 ft depth for lighter goods such as **dairy by-products** and **pet feed**.
The integrated **dredging** of the river channel is continuous; the average seasonal clearance is 27 ft, which influences the containerization of the barge fleet. The LPA’s **deep‑water channel** and **ancillary weir systems** allow 320‑ton barges to reach the berth, while the **CO₂‑capture** systems integrated into the fuel handling gear align with the **Ohio River Clean Water Initiative** to reduce emissions.
### River and Access Infrastructure
The port's centerpiece, an all‑season river channel, is maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with a **140‑mile (226 km)** reach above the Moy's lock. Historically, a **C‑Subway** used to carry rail traffic across the Ohio, but this has been replaced by a modern **intermodal X‑Bridge** linking the parishes and the **Port Authority’s Truck Terminal**, which boasts 1,200 freight bays. The port's **intermodal facility** offers seamless shift to the *Louisville Suburban freight corridor* and the *Bluegrass Express* rail network linking to Joppa, Indiana and Cincinnati.
### Environmental & Sustainability
Louisville's environmental stewardship extends beyond water quality. In partnership with the **Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection**, the port implemented an **“Green Dredge” program** in 201 estiver. This includes the use of biocidal solutions instead of chemical, monitoring sediment quality, and establishing a **Berlin‑Based Barge** to transport **bioplastic runoff** toward urban markets for recycling.
Louisville also participates in competing **Interstate 69** as an energy distribution corridor, ensuring low‑Carbon freight corridors. The port's 2019 *Sustainability Review* reports 270 Metric Tons (MT) additional waste diverted from landfills per year, occupant with an $8M upgrade of water reclamation lines.
## Economic Importance
Louisville's port is among Kentucky’s top freight gateways, generating $10bn annually for the Kentucky economy as per a 2021 survey by the **Kentucky Chamber of Commerce**. Projects funded by the port account for a 12% share of the state’s GDP, andӯр a 20% share of the **Northeast Ohio** economic influence zones.
The port’s unique advantage stems from the *River Access Factor* (RAF) which connects to respectivas of 25 states. It delivers goods so far inland that it eliminates the need for transshipment over rail or roads, mitigating the risk of major congestion on the I‑65 corridor. The port hosts approximately **3000 maritime jobs**—including 1200 unions representing port workers, 500 carriers’ office staff, and 2300 support services (customs brokers, logistics managers).
Internationally, Louisville is a crucial node for U.S. exports of **industrial equipment** heading to Canada and Mexico via the D‑Trans cargo. The port also supports U.S. **food export** for domestic market (maize, soy) with near‑immediate access to the Eastern seaboard shipping lanes.
*Resource Note:* For further insight into Louisville port's maritime statistics, review the **U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Freight Statistics** documentation (link: https://www.cbp.gov/).
## Trade Routes & Major Cargo
### Route Networks
- **Atlantic Seaboard**: Barge fleets launch from the Red Hook terminal in nearby New York, traversing the Delaware River, Hudson River, and the New York Barge Port before linking to Louisville.
- **Great Lakes‑to‑Ohio**: The **Cleveland River Routes** feed specialty goods via the **Cleveland Port Authority**.
- **Trans‑East Atlantic**: Multimodal shipping lines like *CMA CGM* employ barge substations to shift containerized cargo inland to the Louisville region.
Louisville’s **river barge fleet** stands at 300 vessels, each averaging 350,000 TEU (tons of equivalence). Each year, approximately **1.5 million** barge truck days transit the channel, transferring more than **13 million metric tonnes** of bulk cargo.
### Major Cargo Types
1. **Coal & Energy**: Largest commodity in the region,прятич that now moves largely due to the removal from the C‑Subway. With an annual throughput of 4.2 Mt, coal flows to power plants in Dayton and Columbus.
2. **Grain** velike (Corn, Soy): Grain volumes of ~9 Mt annually, delivered to processing plants in Louisville andFam – supply mega farms abroad.
3. **Construction Materials**: Gypsum, limestone and marble (via the *Corn Belt Terminal*) fulfill the demands of regional construction.
4. **Chemicals & Petrochemicals**: 2 Mt seed‑oil and fertilizer transiting the port open up supply for GreenChemicals in the mid‑west.
5. **Containerized Goods**: 85 MT of containerized set dishes, electronics and offline goods shift via break‑bulk.
### Recent Trends
According to the 2023 *Port of Louisville Annual Report*, container traffic increased by **17%** year‑on‑year, while bulk cargo grew by **4%**. The port also recorded a record **915** truck‑barge movements during 2022 due to expanded capacity at the *Southern Bulk Terminal*. This shift demonstrates Louisville’s emergent reputation as a **green freight nexus**, part of the Department of Transportation’s **Built‑to‑Move** initiative.
## Conclusion
Louisville port, under the UN/LOCODE **USLUI**, has evolved from an early steamboat hubungele to a modern, Benton‑integrated inland port that sustains the growth of Kentucky and the broader American Midwest. Its uninterrupted *river-channel connectivity*, dual-port complex infrastructure, and strategic freight corridors all converge to reinforce Louisville as a linchpin in the nation's supply chain. As the march towards **eco‑responsible logistics** accelerates, Louisville's commitment to green dredging, carbon‑aware shipping catalyzes a future where inland port economics and environmental stewardship overlap, ensuring the port stays at the forefront of U.S. maritime commerce.
For further details on the status of the port and future planning, consult the official **Louisville Port Authority** portal at https://www.portoflouisville.org/, and the global **UN/LOCODE database** for updated coding references.
Port Intelligence
UN/LOCODE
USLUI
Country
United States
Province / Region
Kentucky
Latitude
38.230000
Longitude
-85.770000
Timezone
America/New_York
Nautical Map (OpenSeaMap)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the UN/LOCODE for Port of Louisville?
The official UN/LOCODE for Port of Louisville is USLUI.
Where is Port of Louisville located?
The Port of Louisville is located in United States, Kentucky. Its coordinates are 38.2300°N, -85.7700°E.
What time zone is Port of Louisville in?
Port of Louisville operates in the America/New_York time zone.
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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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