Port Houston owns and operates the eight public facilities along the 52-mile Houston Ship Channel, including the area’s largest breakbulk facility and two of the most efficient container terminals in the nation. The Port has served as the strategic leader for this vital waterway for over a century, ensuring the free flow of commerce throughout the region as well as bolstering national and international trade. Explore more of our history and background below.
In the early days of Houston, barges carrying cargo were served by the shallow draft of Buffalo Bayou—traveling from the foot of Main Street along its winding path to the Gulf of Mexico. Once in Galveston, these barges met the seagoing vessels that transported freight to and from the rest of the nation and overseas. As cargo volumes grew, along with the city and region, Houston’s lack of a deep-water port became increasingly challenging.
As the 19th century came to a close, Houston civic and business leaders shared a steady stream of information with Congress to prove the need for a deep-water ship channel. Beginning with his election in 1896, U.S. Representative, Tom Ball, spent countless hours trying to convince the state and federal government to support the development of the channel to serve the City of Houston. As the growth of Texas commerce was accelerating, Houston’s lack of a deep-water ship channel hindered its capacity to handle larger vessels to efficiently support that commerce. Tom Ball and his local allies advanced the project by advocating that the region and the federal government share the cost of dredging a deep-water channel to Houston. His colleagues on the Congressional Rivers and Harbors Committee voted unanimously to accept that proposal, and with its success, became known as the Houston Plan.
At Port Houston, our vision, purpose and core values are the foundation for everything we do. How we meet our commitments and fulfill expectations will define our success.