The Port of Palm Beach, located in Riviera Beach, Florida, is a full-service diversified landlord port. It serves as a significant engine for economic development and job creation in the South Florida region and the state, employing over 3,800 people.
Ranking as the fourth busiest container port among Florida’s 16 seaports, the Port of Palm Beach plays a crucial role as a distribution center for commodities shipped globally, particularly to the Caribbean Basin. The port handles various operations including containerized, dry bulk, liquid bulk, break-bulk, Ro/Ro (roll-on/roll-off), and heavy-lift/project cargoes. Food is its primary export commodity. Notably, nearly 80 percent of all goods passing through are exported, positioning it as one of only 16 "Export Ports" in the United States. Annually, the port processes more than $14 billion in commodities or over 2.5 million tons of cargo.
The port features three slips, 17 berths, and seven Ro/Ro ramps capable of accommodating vessels up to 700 feet long and 100 feet wide. It offers easy access from I-95, Florida’s Turnpike, and the Florida East Coast Railway (FECR), facilitating seamless and cost-effective cargo movement. FECR provides twice-daily service to the port’s rail interchange.
Additionally, the port owns and operates a locomotive and 6.5 miles of track for on-dock rail convenience. Its industrial switching operation can handle boxcars, hopper cars, and double-stack rail cars with continuous operations available around the clock. Rail operations can accommodate 20-axle rail cars with a capacity of up to 450 tons. The docks are situated just a 15-minute transit from the first sea buoy.
The Port of Palm Beach also engages in cruise business through Margaritaville at Sea which offers two three-night cruises to Grand Bahama Island. This cruise line provides passengers with an option to extend their vacation by four or six nights at all-inclusive hotels on Grand Bahama Island.
Governed by five elected commissioners as an independent special taxing district subdivision of the State of Florida, the Port of Palm Beach District holds statutory authority to levy ad valorem millage taxes but has not exercised this authority for more than 48 years.