Kentucky’s inland waterways system remains one of the Commonwealth’s greatest strategic transportation and economic assets. With approximately 1,590 miles of navigable waterways — including more than 1,000 miles of commercially navigable rivers — Kentucky continues to rank among the top inland waterway states in the nation. Positioned along the Ohio, Mississippi, Tennessee, Cumberland, Green, and Big Sandy Rivers, Kentucky serves as a critical freight gateway connecting the Midwest, South, and Gulf Coast markets.

The Commonwealth’s public riverports play a vital role in supporting Kentucky’s multimodal freight network and supply chains. Kentucky is home to 10 public riverport authorities that collectively support the movement of energy products, aggregates, agriculture, chemicals, metals, forest products, construction materials, and manufactured goods. These ports also strengthen industrial recruitment and economic development by providing cost-effective access to domestic and international markets.

The economic reach of Kentucky’s riverports extends far beyond the riverbank itself. More than 80 Kentucky counties are considered part of a riverport “hinterland” — the geographic area where freight can move competitively to and from a port facility, often within approximately a 90-minute truck drive. This connectivity creates important logistics advantages for manufacturers, distribution centers, agricultural producers, and industrial sites across much of the Commonwealth.

As freight demand continues to grow nationally, inland waterways offer one of the most efficient and environmentally responsible transportation options available. A single barge tow can move the equivalent of hundreds of trucks while reducing roadway congestion, lowering emissions, improving fuel efficiency, and decreasing wear and tear on highways and bridges.

Several Kentucky river corridors are also part of the federally designated America’s Marine Highway Program, which recognizes waterways that can help relieve freight congestion on overburdened highway and rail corridors. Marine Highway designation creates opportunities for federal investment and reinforces the importance of inland waterways as part of a resilient national freight strategy.

As Kentucky continues to compete for industrial growth and freight investment, maintaining and modernizing riverport infrastructure will remain essential to strengthening supply chains, supporting economic development, and preserving the Commonwealth’s position as a national multimodal transportation leader.