Port of Pittsburgh facts for kids
The Port of Pittsburgh is a very busy area for river boats in southwestern Pennsylvania. It's not just one spot, but a huge region covering thirteen counties! This includes places like Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, and many others.
This port area has over 200 miles of rivers that boats can use. The main rivers are the Allegheny, the Monongahela, and the Ohio. To help boats travel easily, there are seventeen special structures called locks and dams.
The Port of Pittsburgh helps almost 200 river terminals. These are places where boats load and unload goods. It also has many businesses that support the barge industry. Big railroads like CSX and Norfolk Southern connect to the port. Four major highways also help move goods to and from the port.
The Port of Pittsburgh is different from a port like the Port of Miami. The Port of Miami is one specific place. But the Port of Pittsburgh refers to a much larger area. It includes all the rivers and businesses that work together in the region.
Understanding the Port of Pittsburgh Commission
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| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1992 |
| Motto | Good things flow from here. |
| Agency executive |
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| Parent agency | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
| Website | https://www.portpitt.com/ |
The Port of Pittsburgh Commission is a government group in Pennsylvania. Their job is to manage the Port of Pittsburgh. This port is actually the second-largest inland port in the entire United States. An inland port is one that is not on the ocean.
In 2015, the Port of Pittsburgh moved almost 27 million short tons of river cargo. This made it the 26th largest port in the U.S. overall. When looking only at trade within the country, it ranked as the 15th largest.
The M-70 Marine Highway
The Commission is in charge of shipping on the Ohio River within Pennsylvania. They also manage the parts of the Allegheny River and Monongahela River that boats can use. The U.S. government's Maritime Administration gave the Ohio River a special name. It's now part of a new federal marine highway called M-70. This name comes from I-70, a big highway used by trucks in the area.
