Illinois International Port District

Name

Illinois International Port District

Legal name

Illinois International Port District

Website

https://iipd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Illinois International Port District operates the Port of Chicago, a public multimodal landlord port spanning roughly 1,800 acres across Iroquois Landing and Lake Calumet Terminal, connecting six Class I railroads and Foreign Trade Zone #22 to steel, grain, lumber, and aggregate shippers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Port and Terminal Services

NAICS

Port and Harbor Operations (488310), Marine Cargo Handling (48832), Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation (48311)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400), Railroad Switching & Terminal Establishments (4013)

akta.pro primary industry

Berth, Anchorage & Pilotage Scheduling (TLAHAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gateway Container Terminals (Import/Export) (TLAHAAAB), Inland / River Container Terminals (Barge-Served) (TLAHAAAD), Intermodal Rail Container Terminals (On-Dock / Near-Dock) (TLAHAAAE), Port Equipment Operations (Crane Operators, RTG/RMG, Straddle Carrier Operations) (TLAHALAE)

Keywords

• Multimodal port services
• Marine cargo handling
• Foreign trade zone
• Port terminal operations
• Freight rail services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Others, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Marine Cargo Handling: Port services for handling marine cargo including ship and barge berthing, loading/unloading operations through terminal operators and tenants
2. Leasing Operations: Property leasing to terminal operators, tenants, and businesses operating within port facilities. Current leasing opportunities include grain silos.
3. Rail Services: Terminal and rail switching services with reciprocal switching arrangements with major railroads serving the Chicago area
4. Trucking Services: Access to approximately 600 line haul and local cartage carriers providing motor transport services
5. Foreign Trade Zone Services: FTZ #22 services allowing imported merchandise handling prior to formal entry and duty payment

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Illinois International Port District operates multimodal port terminal facilities in Chicago, providing marine cargo handling, rail switching, trucking access, and Foreign Trade Zone #22 services across its Iroquois Landing Terminal (190 acres) and Senator Dan Dougherty Harbor at Lake Calumet Terminal (approximately 1,600 acres). The Port manages nearly 2,000 acres of industrial land, charges users via its Port Tariff Schedule, and leases property and facilities to terminal operators and tenants. It handles over 19 million tons of waterborne cargo annually and is the only operator of a U.S. Foreign Trade Zone in the Chicago region.

Product overview

The Illinois International Port District operates as a multimodal port facility with two primary land areas: the Iroquois Landing Terminal (190 acres, 3,000 linear feet of berthing) at Lake Michigan, and Senator Dan Dougherty Harbor/Lake Calumet Terminal (1,600 acres) situated six miles inland. The port offers integrated marine cargo handling, rail switching services connecting to six Class I railroads, and trucking access via major interstates. It administers Foreign Trade Zone #22 covering up to 2,000 acres across seven Illinois counties. Additional offerings include Harborside International Golf Center (36-hole recreational facility), grain silo leasing, and port tariff services. The port handles over 19 million tons of waterborne cargo annually and contributes approximately $700 million to the regional economy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Iroquois Landing Terminal A 190-acre open-paved terminal at the southwest corner of Lake Michigan and the entrance of the Calumet River with 3,000 linear feet of ship and barge berthing space, providing deep draft and shallow draft berthing and receiving international ship traffic through the St. Lawrence Seaway for industrial manufacturers and exporters.
• Senator Dan Dougherty Harbor (Lake Calumet Terminal) A approximately 1,600-acre facility at the junction of the Grand Calumet and Little Calumet Rivers, six nautical miles inland from Lake Michigan, hosting various harbor operations and terminals with abundant warehouse facilities and barge access to the Mississippi River system and Illinois River for bulk commodity shippers.
• Foreign Trade Zone #22 The only Foreign Trade Zone in the Chicago region, operating under the Alternative Site Framework and authorizing up to 2,000 acres of activated sites and subzones within 60 miles or a 90-minute drive of IIPD for importers to handle merchandise prior to formal entry and duty payment.
• Marine Cargo Handling Services Handling of multiple cargo types via ships and barges through terminal operators and tenants, including open top, covered, and liquid commodity equipment for Midwest shippers requiring economical access to international shipping through the St. Lawrence Seaway.
• Rail Services Terminal and rail switching services with connections to six of seven North American Class I railroads (BNSF, CN, CP, CSX, NS, UP), the Belt Railway, Indiana Harbor Belt, and several shortline railroads, with reciprocal switching arrangements across all major railroads serving the Chicago rail hub.
• Trucking and Motor Carrier Services Access to approximately 600 line haul and local cartage carriers providing motor transport services for overnight service throughout the Midwest, with port facilities strategically located at the convergence of I-90/94, I-80, I-57, I-55, and I-65 within 10 miles.
• Grain Silos Leasing Leasing opportunities for grain storage silos located within IIPD port facilities, available to bulk commodity shippers and storage operators.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 19 million tons of waterborne cargo handled annually - more than any other Great Lakes port
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Great Lakes Ports AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2026IIPD is a member of the American Great Lakes Ports Association, participating in collaborative initiatives such as the market study to expand cargo movement between Great Lakes and Inland Waterways systems. Executive Director Erik Varela was elected Treasurer of AGLPA.
• Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2026Federal partner leading the market study with AGLPA to analyze market demand, infrastructure needs, and operational requirements for expanding transloading between Great Lakes and Inland Waterways. Partnership aims to improve supply chain reliability and support key industries.
• Ports of IndianaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2026Participating port providing local funding for the Great Lakes-Inland Waterways market study. Collaborative effort to expand waterborne commerce between the two shipping corridors.
• Port MilwaukeeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2026Participating port providing local funding for the Great Lakes-Inland Waterways market study examining cargo flow opportunities and infrastructure requirements.
• Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIIPD is developing a Port Master Plan in partnership with CMAP to identify strategies for better utilizing existing facilities and positioning IIPD to realize its full economic potential while providing workforce, community, recreational, and environmental benefits.
• The Nature ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking with The Nature Conservancy and V3 to conduct a Square Marsh Conservation Study assessing what is needed to protect 138 acres of natural resources and conserve native habitats.
• U.S. Coast Guard Sector Lake MichigancoreOthersCoast Guard unit responsible for executing port safety and security, marine environmental protection, and commercial vessel safety missions under Department of Homeland Security. Conducts periodic audits with Port Facility Security Officer.
• U.S. Department of Homeland SecuritycoreOthersFederal agency imposing strict Homeland Security requirements on IIPD operations. Oversees Maritime Transportation Security Act compliance and port security provisions.
• Harborside International Golf CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChicago's only 36-hole award winning golf course owned by IIPD and managed by KemperSports, serving as a community asset and recreational partner.
• KemperSportsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGolf course management company operating Harborside International, partnering on youth golf programs with CPS schools including Gwendolyn Brooks and Hyde Park High Schools.
• City of ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity government partner; Mayor appoints five of nine board members; involved in infrastructure funding including $144M bridge project and $24.5M infrastructure renovation.
• Cook CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty government partner contributing to infrastructure funding including the $24.5M renovation project for vital economic infrastructure.
• Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState transportation agency providing $24.5M in funding and developing the Illinois International Port District Profile as part of port district profile initiative.
• Chicago Neighborhood InitiativesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner organization working with IIPD on initiatives in the Calumet Industrial Corridor area.
• Wetlands InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental organization partner in conservation and restoration efforts in the Calumet region.
• Delta InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental organization partner in conservation and restoration efforts.
• Green MarineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental certification program for ports focused on sustainability and reducing environmental footprint of maritime operations.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ports of Indiana: State-operated port authority managing three ports on the Ohio River and Lake Michigan, directly competing with IIPD for Midwest shipper cargo, intermodal traffic, and federal infrastructure grants. Joint participant with IIPD in the AGLPA Great Lakes–Inland Waterways market study.
• Port Milwaukee: Wisconsin's Lake Michigan port handling bulk, break-bulk, and project cargo. Operates as a landlord port on a similar model to IIPD and is a co-participant in the AGLPA market study.
• Port of Duluth-Superior: The largest U.S. port on the Great Lakes by tonnage, located at the western end of the system. Competes with IIPD for bulk and general cargo originating in or destined for the upper Midwest, and is a fellow AGLPA member.
• Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority: Operates the Port of Cleveland on Lake Erie, handling steel, project cargo, and bulk commodities. Closely comparable landlord-port structure and customer mix (steelmaking, manufacturing) to IIPD.
• Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority: Operates the Port of Toledo and Toledo Express Airport, with significant bulk, break-bulk, and auto-handling operations on Lake Erie. Comparable multimodal scope (sea, rail, road) and public-authority governance.
• Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority: Public port authority serving the Detroit region on the Detroit River, handling steel, aggregates, and project cargo. Closely analogous Great Lakes landlord port with significant steel-industry exposure similar to IIPD.

Regional players

• Port of Buffalo (Niagara Port Authority): Operates the Port of Buffalo on Lake Erie at the eastern end of the Great Lakes system and Foreign-Trade Zone 23, providing another comparable FTZ + lake port combination, though serving a different geographic catchment than IIPD.
• Port of Hamilton (Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority): Major Canadian port on Lake Ontario operated by a municipal authority, providing a cross-border comparator for landlord-port governance, FTZ-style operations, and steel/bulk cargo handling similar to IIPD.
• Indiana Port Authority (Burns Harbor / Mount Vernon): Although Indiana's ports are managed by Ports of Indiana, Burns Harbor on Lake Michigan is a direct geographic competitor to IIPD for steel and bulk cargo from the Calumet region.

Others

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Great Lakes Navigation System): Federal owner/operator of much of the Great Lakes harbor and channel infrastructure that IIPD depends on for vessel access. Not a commercial peer, but a critical counterparty whose dredging and lock policies directly affect IIPD's operating economics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/illinois-international-port-district
• Xx.com/Illinois_IPD

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Illinois International Port District