Port of Mobile, Maritime shipping hub on the Gulf Coast in Mobile, Alabama, United States
The Port of Mobile is a maritime facility on the Gulf Coast in Mobile, Alabama, situated where the Mobile River flows into Mobile Bay. The port includes terminals for containers and bulk cargo along with rail connections that link ocean vessels to inland transportation networks and waterways extending far upstream.
The Port of Mobile is a deep-water port on the Mobile River where it empties into Mobile Bay, owned and operated by the Alabama State Port Authority. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ranked it 9th in the nation by tonnage in 2014, with 64.3 million tons, up from 12th in 2010. Since 2000 the authority has carried out nearly $500 million in capital improvements, and in 2010 it announced $360 million more over five years.
The port's public terminals are run by the Alabama State Port Authority, and its McDuffie Terminal is one of the largest coal terminals in the United States and the country's largest import coal terminal. In 2022 a statue of retiring U.S. Senator Richard Shelby was unveiled at the port, honouring a senator who steered federal money to dredging and widening there. Carnival cruise ships have sailed from Mobile since 2001.
The public terminals are owned and operated by the Alabama State Port Authority, so access is geared to cargo operations rather than tourism. The port lies along the Mobile River where it empties into Mobile Bay, with terminals linked to two interstate systems and five Class I railroads. Carnival has run cruises from Mobile since 2001, with breaks in 2011 and a return in 2016.
The facility operates a specialized rail ferry service to Mexico while also housing one of the largest coal terminals in the country. This dual function as a hybrid transportation hub sets it apart from other American ports in the region.
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