Which US port is the busiest by container volume?

The Port of Los Angeles is the busiest US port by container volume.

Located in San Pedro Bay, the port is the principal American gateway for trans-Pacific container trade. Its large terminals handle huge flows of imported and exported goods, particularly cargo moving between the United States and Asia. The neighboring Port of Long Beach is also a major container hub, but it is a separate port and is generally ranked behind Los Angeles on individual container throughput.

The Port of Los Angeles became a modern container powerhouse as shipping shifted from break-bulk cargo to standardized containers. Its rail connections, highway network, terminal capacity and position on the Southern California coast helped it serve as a major distribution gateway for the US market.

“Busiest” can mean different things, so rankings should specify the measure: container volume is usually reported in TEUs, or twenty-foot equivalent units. Rankings can change by year and by whether ports are compared individually or as a combined harbor complex. Under the individual-port container-volume measure, Los Angeles remains the leading US answer.