The Port Areas dataset was updated on July 21, 2025 from the United States Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) and is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)/Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). USACE works with port authorities from across the United States to develop the port boundaries through an iterative and collaborative process. Port boundary information is prepared by USACE to increase transparency on public waterborne commerce statistic reporting, as well as to modernize how the data type is stored, analyzed, and reported.

A Port Area is defined by the limits set by overarching legislative enactments of state, county, or city governments, or the corporate limits of a municipality. A port typically refers to a geographical area that includes operational activities related to maritime transport as well as acquisition, operation, and management of port infrastructure and property, such as might be associated with ownership, concession, construction approval, or policy decision-making authority.

Per Engineering Regulation 1130-2-520, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Navigation Data Center is responsible to collect, compile, publish, and disseminate waterborne commerce statistics. This task has subsequently been charged to the Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center to perform. Performance of this work is in accordance with the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act of 1922. Included in this work is the definition of a port area. A port area is defined in Engineering Pamphlet 1130-2-520 as: (1) Port limits defined by legislative enactments of state, county, or city governments. (2) The corporate limits of a municipality. The USACE enterprise-wide port and port statistical area feature classes per EP 1130-2-520 are organized in SDSFIE 4.0.2 format. A data dictionary, or other source of attribute information, is accessible at https://doi.org/10.21949/2ngc-4984