Waukegan Port District - Waukegan Harbor

What Waukegan Port District - Waukegan Harbor does

The Waukegan Port District is a municipal port district established under Illinois law in 1966, operating as a political subdivision of the State of Illinois. It oversees three integrated functions: Waukegan Harbor Marina, a full-service harbor and marina facility on Lake Michigan providing mooring, boat slips, and maritime support services for recreational and commercial vessels; Waukegan National Airport, a general aviation facility serving private aircraft and corporate jets; and district-level governance and administration. The district is governed by a seven-member Board of Directors, with four members appointed by the Mayor of Waukegan and three by the Governor of Illinois, each serving an initial six-year term. The organization employs approximately 10 staff members and is headquartered at 55 South Harbor Place, Waukegan, Illinois.

The district serves a diverse customer base spanning recreational boaters, general aviation users, corporate aviation operators (notably Abbott, which houses its corporate jets at the airport), and commercial maritime operations. Its geographic footprint is regional, serving the Lake County and Great Lakes region. The organization does not disclose pricing publicly, and its revenue model appears to rely on slip fees, hangar rentals, aviation fees, and other public infrastructure charges, consistent with similar municipal port authorities.

The business model is inherently government-bound: there is no private equity, venture funding, or share structure; the entity is publicly chartered and operated for regional economic development and community service rather than profit maximization. The board's composition includes professionals from manufacturing (Applied Strategies International), biopharmaceutical and military backgrounds (Genentech, U.S. Coast Guard Reserve), corporate government affairs (Abbott), and civil engineering (Lake County Division of Transportation), providing governance expertise across operations, regulatory compliance, infrastructure, and public affairs. The district's competitive position is defined by its statutory charter and physical infrastructure rather than by market competition.

Name

Waukegan Port District - Waukegan Harbor

Legal name

Waukegan Port District

Website

https://waukeganport.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Waukegan Port District is a municipal port district operating Waukegan Harbor Marina and Waukegan National Airport on Lake Michigan, serving recreational boaters, general aviation users, corporate aviation operators, and the Lake County, Illinois community under a seven-member public board.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Port and Marina Operations

NAICS

Port and Harbor Operations (488310), Marinas (713930), Coastal and Great Lakes Passenger Transportation (483114)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400), Airports, Flying Fields & Airport Terminal Services (4581)

akta.pro primary industry

Maritime & Port Authorities (Public Ports, Harbors, Ferries Terminals) (BPAIALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ferry Terminals & Water Transit Piers (THAIALAH), Harbor & River Shuttle Services (THAIAJAE)

Keywords

• Port district operations
• Marina slip rentals
• General aviation airport
• Harbor management
• Municipal port authority

Headquarters

HQ city

Waukegan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

The Waukegan Port District is a state-authorized municipal port authority that operates and manages two primary facilities: the Waukegan Harbor Marina (a recreational boating facility on Lake Michigan) and the Waukegan National Airport (a general aviation airport). It provides slip rentals, fueling, dockage, and related harbor services to boaters, and runway, hangar, and aviation services to private and corporate aircraft operators in the Lake County, Illinois region.

Product overview

Waukegan Port District operates as a municipal port authority managing three interconnected operations: Waukegan Harbor & Marina (full-service harbor on Lake Michigan), Waukegan National Airport (general aviation facility), and the port/district governance structure. The marina and airport serve as the primary revenue-generating operations, while the Port District board provides oversight and administration. The organization is governed by a seven-member Board of Directors appointed by the Mayor of Waukegan and the Governor of Illinois.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Waukegan Harbor Marina A harbor marina providing slip rentals, dockage, fueling, and related recreational boating services to private boat owners and visitors on Lake Michigan.
• Waukegan National Airport A general aviation airport offering runway access, hangar rentals, aircraft storage, and aviation services to private pilots and corporate aircraft operators, including businesses such as Abbott.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AbbottminorOthersAbbott hangars their corporate jets at the Waukegan Airport for business travel. This represents a corporate aviation customer relationship with the airport facility.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Regional players

• Michigan City Port Authority: Municipal authority managing harbor, marina, and waterfront development in Michigan City, Indiana. Comparable as a public port and marina operator on the southern Lake Michigan shoreline serving both recreational and commercial users.
• Waukegan Park District: Local special-purpose district operating parks, recreation, and lakefront facilities within Waukegan. Comparable as a neighboring Illinois municipal district serving overlapping Lake County residents with waterfront and recreational assets.
• Lake County Forest Preserves: Special-purpose district managing conservation and recreation lands throughout Lake County, Illinois, including Lake Michigan shoreline access. Comparable as a Lake County public district with overlapping service geography and lakefront recreation responsibilities.
• Indiana Dunes State Park: Indiana state park on Lake Michigan operating a public beach and adjacent marina facilities. Comparable as a public-sector Lake Michigan marina operator serving recreational boaters in the same regional market.
• Gary/Chicago International Airport Authority: Regional airport authority operating a general aviation and cargo airport in northwest Indiana near the Illinois border. Comparable as a nearby public regional airport authority competing for corporate aviation tenants in the Chicago-Gary metro.

Direct peers

• North Point Marina: Illinois state-operated marina on Lake Michigan in Winthrop Harbor, located just north of Waukegan. Comparable as a public marina operator on the Illinois Lake Michigan shoreline serving recreational boaters with similar slip and harbor services.
• Port of Indiana: Indiana state port authority operating ports on Lake Michigan and inland waterways. Comparable as a public port district managing maritime commerce and waterfront infrastructure under state-level governance.
• Port Milwaukee: Municipal port authority operating Lake Michigan port facilities in Milwaukee. Comparable as a public port authority managing mixed-use waterfront assets including maritime commerce, cruise, and recreational boating.
• Illinois International Port District: Illinois state port authority operating the Port of Chicago at Lake Calumet. Comparable as a public Illinois port district managing harbor facilities, cargo operations, and waterfront real estate under gubernatorial governance.
• Chicago Park District - Harbors: Municipal park district operating multiple Lake Michigan marinas including Burnham Harbor and Monroe Harbor along Chicago's lakefront. Comparable as a public operator of Lake Michigan recreational boating infrastructure serving the same regional boater base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waukegan-port-district---waukegan-harbor

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Waukegan Port District - Waukegan Harbor