The shipping platform

Location: The port of Chicago, Illinois is located on the SW shore of Lake Michigan. General overview: Chicago Harbor consists of Chicago River, including main branch, N branch and S branch; Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal; Calumet-Sag Channel; Little Calumet River; Lake Calumet; Calumet River and Calumet Harbor (S Chicago Harbor). All piers in the port have excellent rail service and storage facilities. Chicago Harbor is located at the mouth of the Chicago River, approx 22nm from the southern edge of Lake Michigan. The Chicago Harbor Lock and the controlling works, giving access to the N inner basin and the entrance to Chicago River, just E of the Michigan Avenue Bridge. Outer and inner breakwaters from the protected areas in Lake Michigan extending from a N'ly point opposite Oak Street, to a S'ly point opposite 11th Street, a distance of about 3.6km. There are outer and an inner basins protected by their respective breakwaters, with the inner basin divided into a N and S section by the controlling works wall at Randolph Street. The port handles steel, ore, sugar, grain, petrochemicals, cement, non-ferrous metals, stone, coke and scrap; of which iron, steel, liquid bulk and general cargoes are imported and the main exports are grain and steel. Traffic figures: Approx 26,000,000t of cargo handled annually. Max size: The port is capable of accommodating any vessel transiting the St Lawrence Seaway and barges transiting the inland waterway from the Gulf of Mexico.