Economic Impact for Public Ports Study | Missouri Department of Transportation

Executive Summary (February 2018)

Marine transportation is critical to the health of Missouri’s economy. Missouri industries including agriculture, chemical manufacturing, aggregates, and metals rely on the state’s extensive port and waterway network to receive raw materials and to move goods to market. Missouri’s 1,050 inland waterway miles ranks 10th in the United States in terms of mileage. These waterways connect the state to the entire Mississippi River system and its tributaries, including the Ohio, Tennessee, and Illinois Rivers. They also provide connections to Gulf Coast ports such as New Orleans and Mobile, providing Missouri shippers with access to global markets.

Final Report (February 2018)

Section 1 includes the study overview and key findings.

Section 2 presents an overview of the port system and marine transportation in Missouri;

Section 3 profiles key marine freight users (industries) in Missouri, and categorizes them as port-dependent and port-benefited. Maps are provided to show the location of these key industries and their jobs in relation to the ports and waterways that serve them; and

Section 4 presents the findings from the economic impact analysis, and includes a summary of the methodology, data, and findings. The economic role is described from a statewide perspective and for individual ports.