Top 5 U.S. Ports by Size and Activity in 2025

The maritime operations in the United States have evolved significantly since we first wrote our first blog of this series, which was for 2022 ‘s Top 5 U.S. Ports, driven by e-commerce acceleration, infrastructure investment, and global trade changes. This updated 2025 guide highlights the most active and largest U.S. ports based on cargo volume, TEUs handled, and operational relevance, helping logistics professionals, shippers, and supply chain strategists understand where the activity is happening now. You can also find the historical 2022 information in this post. Let’s start with the updated list of 2025’s top five ports based in the USA.

2025 Rank	Port Name	Port State	TEU’s
1.	Port of Los Angeles	California	5,360,217.53
2.	Port of Long Beach	California	4,692,118.36
3.	Port of New York and New Jersey	New York	4,169,448.94
4.	Port of Savannah	Georgia	2,729,460.33
5.	Port of Houston	Texas	1,895,909.71

1. Port of Los Angeles (California)

Trend: Maintains status as the busiest U.S. port. Moderate recovery from 2022 dip; leading again with strong Asia-Pacific trade.

Despite facing supply chain bottlenecks in 2021–2022, the Port of Los Angeles has reclaimed its spot as the busiest port in the United States, and protect it’s place since 2022. With strategic digitalization initiatives, faster customs processing, and added berth capacity, the port handled the most TEUs in 2025.

The top 5 Most searched shipping routes with the Port of Los Angeles

Here are the 5 most searched routes with the Port of Los Angeles on Shipsgo Service Finder:

2. Port of Long Beach

2025 trends: Benefited from influx of smaller shipments ahead of new tariffs. Long Beach handled record LCL volumes, sustaining high activity through May. Heavy concentration of China-origin container loads

The top 5 Most searched shipping routes with the Port of Long Beach

Here are the 5 most searched routes with the Port of Long Beach on Shipsgo Service Finder:

3. Port of New York and New Jersey

Trend: Slight decline from 2022 peak, but remains a vital East Coast hub.

After briefly surpassing Los Angeles in 2022, the Port of New York and New Jersey has adjusted to new volumes as transatlantic and intra-American trade patterns shift. Investments in rail connectivity and cold chain infrastructure have kept Port of New York and New Jersey a top choice for perishables and pharmaceuticals.

The top 5 Most searched shipping routes with the Port of New York and New Jersey

Here are the 5 most searched routes with the Port of New York and New Jersey on Shipsgo Service Finder:

4. Port of Savannah (Georgia)

Trend: One of the fastest-growing ports, over 12.8% YoY increase in total imports Consistent growth; major gains due to Southeast manufacturing expansion.

The Port of Savannah continues to be the fastest-growing U.S. port. It climbed up in the list since 2022. Fueled by increasing Southeast U.S. industrial activity, especially in automotive and clean energy sectors, Savannah has expanded terminal capacity and deepened berths to accommodate more mega vessels.

The top 5 Most searched shipping routes with the Port of Savannah

Here are the 5 most searched routes with the Port of Savannah on Shipsgo Service Finder:

5. Port of Houston (Texas)

Trend: Surging growth; driven by energy exports and Gulf Coast logistics boom.

Houston Port has won it’s place in the 2025 list. Houston has become a critical player in both imports and exports, particularly in petrochemicals and refined products. The port’s central U.S. location and improved inland connections have attracted major investments, helping it climb into the top four.

The top 5 Most searched shipping routes with the Port of Houston

Here are the 5 most searched routes with the Port of Houston on Shipsgo Service Finder:

The 2025 U.S. port list highlights robust West Coast leadership, rapid Southeastern expansion, and East/Gulf Coast resilience against supply-chain disruptions.

Top 5 U.S. Ports by Size and Activity in 2025:

Port of Los Angeles (California)
Port of Long Beach (California)
Port of New York and New Jersey (New York)
Port of Savannah (Georgia)
Port of Houston (Texas)

The Top 5 Ports in the United States 2022

Top 5 Ports in the U.S.

The United States boasts a thriving trade industry, with a significant portion of the country’s commerce being conducted through maritime shipping. In this article, we will highlight the top 5 busiest ports in the US, giving you a better understanding of where the majority of the country’s trade is centered. Whether you’re an exporter, importer, or just curious about the state of the US trade industry, read on to find out more.

1. The Port of Los Angeles

Location: California

Starting with the first on the list, the Port of Los Angeles in California tops the ranking. It has a capacity of 9,079,561 TEUs, a length of 69 km, and covers 7,500 acres of land. The Port of Los Angeles is the largest port in the US by container throughput and also has passenger terminals. The port is a major contributor to the nation’s economy and attracts millions of visitors every year while employing nearly three million people.

2. The Port of New York and New Jersey

Location: New York

The east coast’s primary Port, “The Port of New York and New Jersey.” It is the port district of the New York-Newark metropolitan area, located in Brooklyn, New York. It can be confusing all that New York and New Jersey, Newark dilemma. To clarify, Port Newark is located in New Jersey, but the confusing part is that Port Newark’s Elizabeth Marine Terminal is just part of the Port of New York and New Jersey. So, it can be noted that the Port of New York and New Jersey and, the Port of Newark are 2 different ports with some connected terminals. In 2022, it moved to the 2nd place in the list by pushing the Long Beach Port to the 3rd place. It has been stated that the Port’s container volume has reached 8,157,584 TEU.

3. The Port of Long Beach

Location: California

It is located in the State of California Long Beach. The Port of Long Beach, also known as the Harbor Department of the City of Long Beach. Although how busy the year has been, the Port of Long Beach, which was ranked 2nd in 2021, dropped to 3rd place this 2022 because of a shift in consumer demands towards the country’s east coast. It still is one of the biggest, with a capacity of 8,000,811 TEU.

4. The Port of Savannah

Location: Georgia

The Port of Savannah, located in the state of Georgia, ranks fourth on the list, and it achieved significant results, especially in the 4th quarter of 2022, by handling 552,806 TEU and 4,986,489 TEU annually. Savannah Port houses 2 terminals; the Ocean City terminal and the Garden City terminal

5. The Port of Houston

Location: Texas

At the end of the list, the Port of Houston ranks by handling 3,333,924 TEUs in 2022. The Port of Houston is located on the East Coast, Texas, and is in the metropolitan area of Houston. Thanks to its proximity to the gulf and the consumer demand shifting the east coasts, it has become one of the favorites of trade routes. Because of the increasing demand, the Port of Houston Authority has decided to expand the Port by transforming some terminal capacities to open up extra container yards.

How to Find the Location of Your Containers Transporting to/from the United States?

The Shipsgo Container Tracking Platform is a powerful tool for individuals and businesses in the shipping industry. It provides the live location of your containers with the routing details, such as; the ETA, transit ports, and even information about the CO2 emissions of the shipment during the transportation. Shipsgo’s comprehensive tracking system utilizes it’s own AI technology to browse over 100 shipping lines, making it super easy for users to stay up-to-date about their sea shipments, regardless of wherever their origin and destination ports. With 5 free welcome credits, users can explore all the features the Shipsgo Container Tracking Platform offers and see just how simple and effective it is for keeping track of their sea and air cargo. Whether your containers are traveling from Los Angeles to China or Cape Town to Texas, Shipsgo Container Tracking provides you with real-time information in just a few minutes.

Shipsgo Service Finder on the other hand provides information about different carriers’ services and freight forwarders that serve between trade routes and sailing schedules of shipping lines. By simply entering the ports of loading and discharge, users can access a list of available carriers and their services, with or without a transit port, and freight forwarders who offer services between those ports. As the article highlighted, the most commonly used routes in the country, this tool will be especially useful for those interested in shipping to or from the United States. With this information at their fingertips, users can easily explore the services of different carriers and connect with active freight forwarders. All of this is offered for free, making it an accessible and convenient resource for those in the industry.