It is the second largest inland port on the shallow draft portion of the Mississippi River, and the fifth largest inland port in the United States.[2] It has the ability to connect to sea via the Mississippi River, by rail using any of the five Class 1 railroads in the city, by road via I-40 or I-55, and by air using FedEx.
History
The first Port of Memphis grain elevator opened in 1937. It was constructed by the Public Works Administration and located in North Memphis on the Wolf River. The facility saw exponential growth of shipments in 1939 and 1940 due to the shift from cotton to corn among Arkansas farmers.[3]
In 1946, the City of Memphis and Shelby County governments developed a concept for a new industrial area with river access that was separate from downtown, but close enough for commerce. The chosen location for this concept was President's Island. However, President's Island was a flood plain; this was resolved by the creation of a closure dam connecting the northern tip of the island to shore. A harbor was dredged on the slack waterside of the island, with the materials retrieved from dredging being used to raise land along the slack water to create an industrial park.[4]
In 2019, the Port Commission was awarded a $1.7 million grant from the TDOT Rail Connectivity Grant program that enabled them expand rail capacity from 30 cars to 100 cars. It signed a contract with Watco to operate the public terminal.[5]
Facilities
The Port of Memphis consists of three slack-water harbors and two industrial parks.[6] It includes 18 liquid bulk and eight dry bulk facilities.[1]
Tenants
A partial list of companies located at the Port of Memphis as listed on their website (2021) include:[7]
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