Posted on July 28, 2025
Key Takeaways
- In 2024, North America’s 15 busiest freight ports handled over 54 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units).
- Topping the list was the Port of Los Angeles, which processed more than 9.3 million TEUs.
- The Port of Long Beach followed closely with 8.8 million TEUs, while the Port of New York/New Jersey handled 7.3 million TEUs, and the Port of Savannah in Georgia processed 5.1 million.
Global trade depends on seamless connections between ports, railroads, and inland logistics, and few regions illustrate this better than North America.
From the West Coast of the U.S. to the Gulf of Mexico and up into Canada, freight hubs serve as critical arteries for the continent’s economic engine.
For this graphic, Visual Capitalist partnered with the Greenbrier Companies to explore North America’s busiest freight trade hubs in 2024 using the latest data from the American Journal of Transportation.
The Backbone of Trade
In 2024, North America’s 15 busiest freight ports handled over 54 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), a key measure of containerized cargo volume. Topping the list was the Port of Los Angeles, which processed more than 9.4 million TEUs.
Just south, the Port of Long Beach followed closely with 8.8 million TEUs solidifying Southern California as the continent’s most vital trade corridor.
East Coast and Gulf ports also showed strong performance. The Port of New York/New Jersey handled 7.3 million TEUs, while the Port of Savannah in Georgia processed 5.1 million.
Rail as a Cross-Border Connector
Many of these ports are seamlessly integrated with North America’s expansive rail network. Rail serves as the backbone of inland trade, enabling the efficient movement of goods across vast distances and international borders.
Whether it’s Canadian grain heading to the Gulf or electronics arriving from Asia and moving eastward, rail infrastructure underpins the entire supply chain.
A Shared Logistics Future
The data underscores the importance of integrated, cross-border logistics in driving regional prosperity.
As trade volumes continue to rise, investing in ports and rail systems will remain crucial to maintaining the efficient flow of goods across the continent.
