The International Port of Memphis is an active port in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. It is mainly located on President's Island, which is a peninsula. However, it also extends between miles 725 and 740 on both the Tennessee and Arkansas sides of the Mississippi River.[1] 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.[1] 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
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.[2]
Companies
A partial list of companies located at the Port of Memphis as listed on their website (2021) include:[3]