More than 1,000 miles of navigable waterways link Arkansas with ports worldwide. There is a navigable river within 65 miles of every county in the state. Arkansas's rivers remain ice-free throughout the year, allowing continuous movement of goods. Steel, fertilizers, petroleum products, grains and many other goods travel through the many public ports, private terminals and riverfront industrial sites.
Four ports are located along the Arkansas River, in Little Rock, North Little Rock, Pine Bluff and Fort Smith. Mississippi River terminals are located in Osceola, West Memphis and McGehee.
Arkansas River and the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS)
Running more than 300 miles across the state, with 12 locks and dams ensuring year-round navigation, MKARNS is a barge-transport superhighway with a minimum maintained depth of nine feet. Designated a high-use waterway, the Arkansas River handles more than 10 million tons of commercial cargo per year, with dedicated ports and links to intermodal shipping along its length.
Mississippi River (Arkansas Segment)
Stretching over 320 miles along the eastern border of Arkansas, the Mississippi River connects our state to the world via MKARNS and Gulf Coast ports. Maintained to a depth of twelve feet despite having no locks and dams, the Arkansas stretch of the Mississippi is a major avenue for cost-efficient barge traffic, moving containers, petroleum, steel, building materials, agricultural products and more. It’s the gateway to global markets for companies across Arkansas.
The Port of Little Rock
On the Arkansas River, the Port of Little Rock features immediate access to Interstates 40 and 30 and two river terminals to serve year-round barge traffic. Facilities include a main river port and a slackwater harbor that can handle up to 12 million tons of cargo per year. Amenities include 50-ton cranes, 134,000 square feet of indoor storage, truck and rail scales, COFC (container on flat car) lifting and services for grain and chemicals. The Port also operates a short-line railroad for seamless transfer to Union Pacific and BNSF railroads, and is home to Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) No. 14, which features streamlined customs processing, special duty deferrals on certain goods and more.
The Port of West Memphis
The Port of West Memphis is at the crossroads of America’s freight network, offering deepwater access to the Mississippi River and easy connections to Interstates 40 and 55. Features include a barge dock, 100-ton boom crane, commodity hoppers and truck-to-barge liquid transfer. Intermodal shipping muscle is delivered by a three-mile Union Pacific spur that delivers direct rail service to the facility, along with broader access to Class I railroads including UP and BNSF. Additionally, the port sits within Foreign-Trade Zone No. 273, which offers tariff deferrals, streamlined customs processing and tax advantages to qualifying companies.
The Port of Fort Smith
Occupying a 28-acre site on the Arkansas River, the Port of Fort Smith provides companies with strong multimodal shipping options thanks to its road, river and rail connections, including direct links to Interstates 40 and 540, and Highways 71 and 64. The port serves as a modern transloading gateway to Central U.S. markets, built for the quick and efficient transfer of cargo between barge, truck and rail. Primarily, the port handles steel products, including coiled wire rod, coiled plate and bars. The port benefits greatly from integration into the region’s shortline rail infrastructure. The Class III Arkansas & Missouri Railroad runs from Fort Smith into Missouri, offering easy interchange with Kansas City Southern, Union Pacific and BNSF.
The Port of Pine Bluff
Located on the Arkansas River, The Port of Pine Bluff offers direct access to Interstate 530, U.S. Highways 65 and 63, and Union Pacific rail service. Located within Pine Bluff’s Harbor Industrial District, the port is designed for bulk and general cargo transfer between barge, truck and rail. Facilities at the Port include 22 railcar spots, two barge docks, an on-site switching crew, certified truck scale, dry bulk storage and heavy-lift cargo cranes up to 70 tons. Part of Foreign Trade Zone 14J, the port offers qualified companies special privileges like duty deferral, streamlined customs and certain tariff and tax advantages, making it a versatile hub for both U.S. and international companies.