UN/LOCODE: USSTP📍 United States
Port of Saint Paul (UN/LOCODE USSTP)
❖ Coordinates: 44.9537°N, -93.0900°E
❖ Time Zone: America/Chicago
❖ UN/LOCODE: USSTP
## About the Port
**Saint Paul** (UN/LOCODE: **USSTP**) is an inland river port situated on the east bank of the **Mississippi River** in Ramsey County, Minnesota, United States. Its geographic coordinates are **44.9537029° N, ‑93.0899578° W**, placing it within the **America/Chicago** time zone (UTC‑6, UTC‑5 during daylight saving). Although not a deep‑sea seaport, Saint Paul functions as a critical node in the **Upper Mississippi River System**, linking the agricultural and industrial heartland of the Midwest to the Gulf of Mexico via the river‑to‑sea corridor.
The port’s **UN/LOCODE** designation facilitates electronic data interchange for customs, shipping, and logistics stakeholders, while its location just downstream of the **Lock and Dam No. 1** (the Upper St. Anthony Falls lock) enables year‑round navigation for barges drawing up to 9 feet of draft. The port authority, operated jointly by the **City of Saint Paul** and the **Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT)**, oversees berth allocation, safety compliance, and infrastructure upgrades aimed at maintaining competitive transit times for bulk and project cargo moving along the nation’s busiest inland waterway.
### Geographic Setting
Saint Paul lies approximately **13 river miles** downstream of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul twin‑city confluence and about **850 river miles** north of the Gulf of Mexico. The surrounding floodplain is characterized by low‑lying terraces ideal for **warehousing, intermodal yards, and rail spurs**. The port’s proximity to Interstate **94**, **I‑35E**, and **U.S. Highway 10**, as well as the **BNSF Railway** and **Union Pacific** mainlines, provides seamless first‑ and last‑mile connections for shippers.
### Operational Overview
The port handles an average annual throughput of **1.2–1.5 million short tons** of cargo, consisting mainly of bulk commodities (grain, fertilizer, coal) and a growing share of **containerized and project cargo**. Operations are conducted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with vessel traffic peaking during the spring planting and fall harvest seasons. The port’s **Harbor Master’s Office** coordinates lock scheduling, tug assistance, and berth assignments in accordance with **U.S. Coast Guard** and **Army Corps of Engineers** regulations.
## History
### Early River Trade
Indigenous Dakota peoples first utilized the Mississippi River corridor for trade and travel long before European settlement. In the early 19th century, fur traders and steamboat operators established informal landing sites near what is now downtown Saint Paul, exploiting the river’s navigability to move pelicans, timber, and agricultural produce between the Upper Midwest and downstream markets.
### 20th Century Developments
The construction of the **Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam** in 1963 (part of the **Mississippi River Headwaters Project**) stabilized water levels and enabled reliable barge traffic through the Twin Cities reach. Concurrently, the City of Saint Paul invested in **concrete quay walls** and **rail‑served storage yards**, transitioning the port from a casual steamboat landing to a formalized inland port facility. By the 1980s, the port had become a regular stop for **grain unit trains** originating from the Dakotas and Minnesota’s Red River Valley, facilitating export via the Gulf Coast.
### Modernization
Since 2000, Saint Paul has undertaken a series of capital improvements funded through federal **Maritime Administration (MARAD)** grants, state infrastructure bonds, and private‑sector partnerships. Key milestones include:
* **2005** – Installation of a **150‑tonne mobile harbor crane** to improve general cargo handling.
* **2012** – Expansion of the **intermodal rail yard** adding 1,200 feet of track and a new **container gantry crane** capable of handling 40‑ft ISO containers.
* **2018** – Implementation of a **real‑time vessel traffic management system (VTMS)** integrating AIS data with lock scheduling to reduce congestion.
* **2022** – Completion of a **storm‑water mitigation basin** and **shore‑power hookups** for inland tugs, aligning the port with EPA’s **Ports Initiative** for emissions reduction.
These investments have lifted the port’s annual capacity to roughly **2 million short tons** while maintaining an average vessel turn‑around time of under **12 hours** for bulk carriers.
## Infrastructure & Facilities
### Berths and Quay
The port maintains **three primary berths** along a 1,200‑foot concrete quay:
| Berth | Length (ft) | Depth (ft) | Typical Use |
|-------|------------|-----------|-------------|
| Berth A | 400 | 9 | Bulk grain, fertilizer, aggregates |
| Berth B | 350 | 9 | Coal, petroleum products, steel coils |
| Berth C | 250 | 9 | General cargo, project lifts, containers |
All berths are equipped with **fender systems**, **mooring bollards**, and **shore‑based power outlets** (480 V, 3‑phase) to support tugboat operations and reduce idling emissions.
### Cargo Handling Equipment
* **Mobile Harbor Cranes** – Two 150‑tonne lattice boom cranes with 120‑ft outreach, fitted with grab buckets for bulk and spreader bars for containers.
* **Conveyor Systems** – Enclosed belt conveyors linking berths to on‑site silos (capacity 150,000 bushels) and rail hoppers.
* **Forklifts & Reach Stackers** – A fleet of 20 + units for palletized and project cargo handling.
* **Rail Gantry Crane** – A 40‑tonne rubber‑t rail-mounted crane serving the intermodal yard, capable of lifting 40‑ft containers onto double‑stack railcars.
### Storage and Warehousing
The port’s **logistics park** encompasses roughly **45 acres** of paved and graded land, featuring:
* **Silos & Grain Elevators** – Four concrete silos (total 500,000 bushels) with aeration and fumigation capabilities.
* **Covered Warehouses** – 250,000 sq ft of climate‑controlled space for bagged fertilizer, chemicals, and palletized goods.
* **Open Storage Yards** – Secure, fenced areas for bulk aggregates, scrap metal, and oversized project modules, equipped with ground‑penetrating radar for load monitoring.
* **Customs Bonded Zone** – A 10‑acre area approved by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for deferred duty processing of imported steel and machinery.
### Intermodal Connections
* **Rail** – Direct spur connections to BNSF’s **St. Paul Yard** and Union Pacific’s **Hoffman Estates line**, enabling unit train loading/unloading within 30 minutes of berth clearance.
* **Highway** – Immediate access to I‑94 (east‑west) and I‑35E (north‑south) via dedicated port ramps; average truck turn‑around time is under 45 minutes.
* **Inland Waterway** – Seamless lockage at **Lock and Dam No. 1** (Upper St. Anthony Falls) and downstream at **Lock and Dam No. 2** (Hastings), providing continuous navigation to the Gulf of Mexico.
### Environmental and Safety Systems
The port operates under an **ISO 14001** environmental management system, incorporating:
* **Spill containment booms** and **rapid‑response skimmers** stationed at each berth.
* **Diesel‑electric hybrid tugs** reducing NOx and particulate matter emissions by up to 30 %.
* **Noise monitoring stations** ensuring compliance with local ordinances (≤ 65 dBA daytime).
* **Automated identification system (AIS)** integration with the Coast Guard’s **Maritime Safety and Security Information System (MSSIS)** for real‑time vessel tracking.
## Economic Importance
### Regional Impact
Saint Paul’s port contributes an estimated **$210 million annually** to the Minnesota gross domestic product (GDP), supporting **≈ 1,800 direct jobs** in stevedoring, rail operations, logistics, and maintenance, and an additional **≈ 4,200 indirect positions** in manufacturing, agriculture, and services tied to port‑dependent supply chains. The port’s efficiency gains—measured as a reduction in average dwell time from 36 hours (2010) to under 12 hours (2023)—have lowered transportation costs for regional shippers by roughly **8‑10 %**, enhancing the competitiveness of Minnesota’s export-oriented sectors.
### Employment and Revenue
* **Direct Payroll** – Approximately **$95 million** per year in wages and benefits.
* **Tax Contributions** – Generates roughly **$12 million** in state and local tax revenues, including property, sales, and fuel taxes.
* **Private Investment** – Since 2015, over **$45 million** of private capital has been invested in port‑adjacent logistics facilities, spurred by the port’s reliability and intermodal access.
### Key Industries Served
1. **Agribusiness** – Corn, soybeans, wheat, and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) account for ~ 55 % of tonnage.
2. **Energy & Minerals** – Coal (primarily Powder River Basin) and petroleum products (diesel, jet fuel) represent ~ 20 %.
3. **Steel & Metal Products** – Coils, rebar, and scrap metal make up ~ 12 %.
4. **Agricultural Inputs** – Fertilizer (urea, ammonium nitrate) and lime constitute ~ 8 %.
5. **Project & Heavy Lift** – Wind turbine components, modular refinery units, and oversized machinery comprise the remaining ~ 5 %, a segment growing at a CAGR of 6 % due to renewable‑energy expansion.
## Trade Routes & Major Cargo
### Inland Waterway Network
Saint Paul sits at the northern terminus of the **Mississippi River Main Stem**, which connects to the **Illinois Waterway** (providing access to the Great Lakes via the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal) and the **Ohio River** (linking to the inland ports of Cincinnati, Louisville, and Pittsburgh). Downstream, the river feeds into the **Lower Mississippi**, offering a direct route to the **Gulf of Mexico** through the ports of **New Orleans, South Louisiana, and Baton Rouge**. The total navigable distance from Saint Paul to the Gulf is approximately **1,250 river miles**, with an average transit time of **7‑10 days** for a standard 150‑foot barge tow.
### Principal Trade Lanes
* **North‑South Grain Corridor** – Unit trains deliver grain from the Dakotas and Minnesota to Saint Paul, where it is transferred to barges for southbound movement to Gulf export elevators.
* **East‑West Coal Flow** – Coal originating from Wyoming’s Powder River Basin travels east via rail to Saint Paul, then is barged southward for delivery to Midwestern power plants or exported via Gulf terminals.
* **North‑South Petroleum Pipeline** – While primarily moved by pipeline, refined products are occasionally offloaded at Saint Paul’s tanker berths for regional distribution or onward barge movement to inland markets.
* **Great Lakes Connection** – Through the Illinois Waterway, cargoes can reach the **Port of Duluth‑Superior** (the westernmost Great Lakes port) for transshipment to ocean‑going vessels via the St. Lawrence Seaway, enabling a **dual‑modal** (inland‑waterway + Great Lakes) route for certain bulk commodities.
### Major Cargo Commodities
| Commodity | Approx. Annual Share | Typical Vessel/Barge Type | Key Origins/Destinations |
|-----------|---------------------|---------------------------|--------------------------|
| Corn & Soybeans | 30 % | Covered hopper barges (150‑ft) | Upper Midwest → Gulf export terminals (New Orleans, Houston) |
| Wheat | 12 % | Open hopper barges | Minnesota/North Dakota → Gulf & Atlantic ports |
| Fertilizer (Urea, Ammonium Nitrate) | 10 % | Tank barges | Gulf production facilities → Midwest farms |
| Coal (PRB) | 18 % | Deck barges with conveyor unloaders | Powder River Basin → Midwest power plants |
| Petroleum Products (Diesel, Jet Fuel) | 8 % | Product tankers / tank barges | Gulf refineries → Twin Cities airports & industrial users |
| Steel Coils & Rebar | 10 % | Flat‑rack barges / heavy lift vessels | Great Lakes mills → Midwest construction markets |
| Project Cargo (Wind Turbines, Modules) | 4 % | Heavy‑lift barges, SPMTs | Manufacturers (Iowa, Illinois) → Wind farms (MN, SD) |
| Containerized Goods (LCL) | 3 % | 20‑/40‑ft ISO containers on barges | Domestic intermodal hubs (Chicago, St. Louis) |
### Container and Project Cargo Trends
Although traditionally a bulk‑oriented port, Saint Paul has seen a **steady rise in containerized less‑than‑container‑load (LCL) traffic**, averaging **25,000 TEUs per year**, driven by the growth of **e‑commerce fulfillment centers** in the Twin Cities metro area. The port’s **container gantry crane** and adjacent **customs bonded zone** enable efficient consolidation of import/export loads, reducing reliance on long‑haul trucking to coastal ports.
Project cargo movements have also expanded, particularly for **wind energy components**. The port’s **heavy‑lift berth** (Berth C) accommodates loads up to **1,200 tonnes** using self‑propelled modular transporters (SPMTs) and **marine cranes** rated at 250 tonnes. In 2022–2023, Saint Paul handled over **150 wind turbine nacelles and blade sets**, supporting Minnesota’s goal of achieving **30 % renewable electricity by 2030**.
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*For further details on the port’s operational metrics and development plans, consult the official **Port of Saint Paul** page hosted by the City of Saint Paul:* Port of Saint Paul – City of Saint Paul↗.
*Additional technical information on Mississippi River navigation, lock operations, and tonnage statistics can be found through the **U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Mississippi Valley Division**:* USACE Mississippi River Navigation↗.
Port Intelligence
UN/LOCODE
USSTP
Country
United States
Province / Region
Minnesota
Latitude
44.953703
Longitude
-93.089958
Timezone
America/Chicago
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the UN/LOCODE for Port of Saint Paul?
The official UN/LOCODE for Port of Saint Paul is USSTP.
Where is Port of Saint Paul located?
The Port of Saint Paul is located in United States, Minnesota. Its coordinates are 44.9537°N, -93.0900°E.
What time zone is Port of Saint Paul in?
Port of Saint Paul operates in the America/Chicago 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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