The History of the Port of HOuston

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To reach the Port of Houston’s Turning Basin, a ship must travel 50 miles along a narrow and twisting channel that passes through Galveston, the San Jacinto River, and Buffalo Bayou. Despite this improbable location, Houston has the world’s largest landlocked port. The Port of Houston is cited as “irreplaceable,” by Colliers International, as “the defining engine of our economy and culture,” by Cite magazine, and as the generator of more than one million jobs and $180 billion of regional economic activity by Marin Associates. Throughout the world, the Port of Houston is recognized as the most significant factor in securing Houston’s status as a foremost international trade and energy center. The Port starts its second century as a seaport in 2014. Its transformation from a crowded river port into an industrial giant is truly fascinating. It is a tale of technology, geography, politics, and hard work mixed with a little luck!