An Official Website of the Commonwealth of Kentucky
Did you know that Kentucky has 1,662 miles of inland waterways? About 1,020 miles are commercially navigable to transport both goods and people. Kentucky's waterways are ranked 4th in the U.S. for the number of navigable inland waterway miles. Riverports are a vital part of Kentucky's transportation system connecting the waterways to our vast road and rail networks to make our state a logistical dream.
While three rivers border Kentucky – the Ohio River, Mississippi River and Big Sandy River, we also have additional rivers used to move freight (Tennessee River, Cumberland River, Green River, and Licking River). Kentucky is in a prime location at the center of a vast waterway network and at the confluence of several critical inland waterway routes.
Kentucky's waterways are supported by 10 public riverports and more than 160 private river terminals. They range in size from smaller agricultural hubs moving fertilizer and grain from local farmers to heavy manufactured goods from private businesses. They even support air freight. Did you know that the jet fuel that powers the US hubs for DHL, UPS, and Amazon Prime Air are all delivered by barge? Jet fuel is transported on the Ohio River to ports in Cincinnati and Louisville where pipelines then deliver the fuel to the airports.
