On the lower Mississippi River, where the water widens and the horizon opens toward the Gulf, a quiet but meaningful shift took place in 2025. The Plaquemines Port Harbor & Terminal District—long known simply as “Plaquemines Port”—announced a new doing-business-as identity: Louisiana Gateway Port.
For local residents, the ferries still run. The river still rolls north. And the work of moving goods—steel, grain, energy products, containers—continues every day.
But the new name signals something larger: a port stepping into its full role not just as a parish asset, but as a statewide economic engine and a strategic gateway for global commerce.
A Name Rooted in Geography—and Ambition
Standing at the closest deepwater point on the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico, the Port occupies a rare position. Vessels entering the river pass Louisiana Gateway Port before reaching any other river facility. For decades, the original name reflected the parish it served. Now, the Port’s economic output, market reach, and operational scale demand something broader.
The name Louisiana Gateway Port reflects what the Port already is—a Gulf entry that opens directly into a national supply chain.
Visitors exploring the About the Port page can see this clearly: the Port’s growth trajectory, expanded inland connectivity, and statewide job creation outpace the boundaries of any single parish.
Predictable Capacity: What Global Trade Needs Most
Modern shipping is built on time windows. A container ship that misses a window in Asia or the Gulf can lose days. That’s where Louisiana Gateway Port’s physical advantages begin to matter—not just regionally, but globally.
At LGP, vessels benefit from:
- 50-foot channel depth
- No air-draft limits
- 14 major anchorages
- Direct Gulf access without upriver bottlenecks
These are not marketing phrases—they’re operational commitments that reduce fuel burn, cut wait times, and keep schedules predictable.
Industry visitors can explore these capabilities in detail on the Business & Capabilities page, which outlines how depth, anchorage availability, and intermodal flexibility translate into measurable reliability.
For carriers navigating intensifying global congestion, reliability isn’t a luxury. It is the differentiator.
From the Gulf to 30 (and More) States
Louisiana Gateway Port is more than a riverfront terminal—it is the beginning of a logistics network that reaches deep into the American interior.
Cargo that enters the Gulf here doesn’t stay here. It moves by:
- Barge along the Mississippi River system
- Rail, connecting southern Louisiana to national corridors
- Highway, serving industrial and commercial regions throughout the Gulf South
This multimodal reach is central to the Port’s identity.
For shippers, site selectors, and manufacturers, LGP’s inland pathways—highlighted on the Projects & Expansion page—mean shorter routes, more routing options, and lower total landed costs.
In a global supply chain increasingly defined by resilience, this inland reach matters.
Growth That Benefits the Entire State
The Port’s measurable economic impact helped drive the decision to adopt a statewide identity. Between 2021 and 2024, tenants and capital partners generated:
- 32,015 supported jobs
- $6.5 billion in annual economic value
- $136.3 million in annual Louisiana tax revenue
- $18.3 billion in business sales across the state
These figures—verified through economic reviews and reflected throughout the Port’s communications materials—underscore what “Gateway” truly means.
LGP isn’t simply serving vessels. It is powering industries, household incomes, and state revenues. Each update shared in the Newsroom reinforces this: when the Port grows, so does Louisiana.
Still a Neighbor: Reliability and Service for Plaquemines Parish
For all its scale, the Port remains grounded in its responsibility to the people who live closest to it. Ferry riders, commuters on LA-23, small businesses, and local families rely on clear updates and safe operations.
LGP’s community commitments include:
- Real-time ferry information on the Ferry Schedule page
- Immediate operational notices on Service Alerts
- Accessible ADA, Title VI, and complaint forms on Forms & Resources
- Construction and traffic updates shared regularly via the Newsroom
This neighbor-minded approach is one of the Port’s key communications pillars: operational clarity paired with transparency and accessibility.
Even as LGP scales globally, its role as a reliable community partner remains unchanged.
A Name That Reflects Today—And Tomorrow
The transition to Louisiana Gateway Port marks a practical evolution. It aligns the Port’s identity with its operational reality and its future vision:
- A deep-draft Gulf port with predictable windows
- A multimodal gateway into the U.S. heartland
- A driver of statewide jobs and economic growth
- A partner to Plaquemines Parish residents and businesses
In the end, the new name affirms a simple truth:
Louisiana Gateway Port is not just a point on the river. It is the gateway where global trade meets Louisiana ingenuity, industry, and community.