Two Ports. Endless Opportunities for Industry.

For manufacturers, distributors and logistics companies, locating near a deepwater port can offer real savings and benefits. North Carolina's two ports, the Port of Wilmington and the Port of Morehead City, are both situated in North Carolina's Southeast region. Industries considering relocation or expansion to North Carolina will find ample site opportunities within reach of each port.

Port of Wilmington provides service for container, bulk, breakbulk and roll-on/roll-off cargo. Morehead City specializes in bulk and breakbulk cargo. Both ports connect to highways and rail, allowing for seamless freight supply chain between suppliers and end users from southeastern North Carolina across the globe. This is imperative for a company weighing both transportation costs and supply-chain flexibility.

Sites near the Port of Wilmington

The Port of Wilmington sits on the Cape Fear River, about 26 miles from the open Atlantic Ocean. CSX serves the port through the Wilmington Terminal Railroad, which offers a host of resources for regional and global business to ensure businesses can move with efficiency and act effectively. The port is housed in Foreign-Trade Zone 214, which offers relief and deference of import taxes to qualified businesses, providing additional savings and value to companies.

Additionally, the Port of Wilmington is one of few Southern ports with readily available berths and storage areas for containers and general cargo. It offers a deep, 42-foot navigational channel, nine berths with 6,768 feet of wharf frontage, four post-Panamax container cranes and three neo-Panamax container cranes.

Excellent regional logistics access ensures businesses located across the region can incorporate the port in their supply chain strategy. Several parks within trucking distance offer opportunities to build, expand, or occupy existing space.

Mid-Atlantic Industrial Rail Park, Brunswick County: This 1,100-acre, North Carolina-certified megasite is about 18 miles from the port on U.S. Highway 74/76. CSX-served rail runs alongside the property, providing direct access to the port.

International Logistics Park, Brunswick and Columbus Counties: Directly across the highway from Mid-Atlantic Industrial Rail Park sits a second megasite in both Brunswick and Columbus counties. The site is certified by the North Carolina Department of Commerce. It offers over 1,000 developable acres, available for both shell and build-to-suit spaces.

Wilmington Trade Center, New Hanover County: This Class A park has grown to 212 acres and is master planned for up to 3.3 million square feet of industrial space. It is one mile to the interstate, facilitating truck transport to the port just 8.7 miles away.

Sites Near the Port of Morehead City

While the Port of Wilmington provides a generalized menu of service operations, the Port of Morehead City specializes in breakbulk and bulk cargo operations. The port sits four miles from the Atlantic, and is one of the deepest ports on the U.S. East Coast with an ocean bar project channel depth of 47 feet. It maintains more than 43 acres of open storage, over 5,300 feet of wharf space, and rail access serviced by Norfolk Southern. Approximately 150 developable acres on Radio Island offer a unique asset to this location as well. Operations that seek to move raw materials, forest products, agricultural goods, metals, and other heavy or asymmetrical cargo are particularly well-suited to this port location.

Craven County is North Carolina’s Southeast’s closest county to Port of Morehead City, and companies in the county use this port as well as the ports in Wilmington and Norfolk, Virginia. Industrial sites within driving distance of the Port of Morehead City include:

Craven County Industrial Park, Craven County: Just outside of New Bern, NC, this 400+-acre park is two miles to the Interstate 42 corridor, and approximately 44 miles to the Port of Morehead City. With more than 20 companies established in the park, this high-demand property offers flex-space, spec and shell buildings, and land opportunities for prospective businesses.

New Bern Rail Served Industrial Site, Craven County: This 52-acre site can accommodate various manufacturing, distribution, and energy-intensive users. The property offers strong connectivity with access to US-70 (future I-42) linking Raleigh to Morehead City, convenient proximity to I-40 and I-95, and close access to a Norfolk Southern rail spur. A 12-megawatt substation with additional available capacity sits on one of the site’s three parcels.

Beyond the ports

Port advantages extend beyond proximity. Diverse supply chain offerings and redundancies strengthen the business case for locating or establishing operations within the region. In addition to CSX and Norfolk Southern, several short line rail providers ensure connectivity. Seven interstates (I-40, I-95, I-74, I-73, I-140, I-795 and I-295) link the region to major markets, and more than 200 million consumers live within a two-day drive.

For companies with international supply chains, Foreign-Trade Zone 214 extends far beyond the ports at Wilmington and Morehead City. Eligible companies can defer, reduce or, in some cases, eliminate duties.

The takeaway

In the face of continuously shifting supply chains and rapidly evolving needs, sites that offer sea, rail, and highway access are best-positioned to serve your business' needs. North Carolina’s Southeast offers sites to suit your most challenging logistics needs. Call our team today to start a conversation of how our region can be your future.