Laredo is the largest, most efficient port of entry on the U.S./Mexico border. In 2009, the Port of Laredo handled 3,101,502 plus cross border loaded truck shipments, 403,582 rail car shipments and 265.6 million pounds of air freight. Currently, there are 830 trade-handling, transportation-related businesses in Laredo, Texas. Including cars, over 15.8 million vehicles crossed the Rio Grande at Laredo in 2005.

Laredo International Airport (956) 795-2000 - Located on 1,800 acres of a former U.S. Air Force Base. The airport has two parallel runways of 8,200 feet and 7,800 feet, and a cross-wind runway of 5,900 feet. The longest runway was entirely reconstructed in 1997 to handle the heaviest aircraft now flying. An extension of the runway to 10,000 feet is planned for 2008-2009.

 

The runways are equiped with ILS, LOC BC, VOR DME and NDB/GPS approaches, and the airport has a control tower in operation 18 hours/weekday and 14 hours/Sat. and Sun.

 

General aviation is served by two fixed base operators. Commercial aviation is served by a new 78,000 square feet state of the art passenger terminal with jet boarding bridges and federal inspection facilities. Laredo International is served by American Eagle to Dallas/Fort Worth and by Continental Express to Houston George Bush Intercontinental. Allegiant Airlines offer daily flights to Las Vegas. Private fixed wing and helicopter service is available.

 

The airport has dedicated air freight facilities in excess of 200,000 square feet. Air cargo operators at Laredo total 20 and include: Emery Worldwide, BAX Global, Fedex, Airborne, DHL, USA Jet, M & M Cargo, Cavazos Air Cargo, and Eagle USA. During 2000 Laredo International logged 459 million pounds of gross landed weight. In 1993, Laredo International was ranked 8th in the nation by Air Cargo World for Latin America air cargo.

 

The airport has an active Foreign Trade Zone program. Non-aeronautical airport properties are being developed into a world class medical campus. Anchoring this 150 acre medical campus is the new Mercy Regional Medical Center, Laredo MHMR, and the University of Texas Health Science Center.

Deep Water Port: Corpus Christi - 6th largest deep-water port in the U.S.  & 3rd largest bulk-handling port in the U.S.

  

Channel Depth: 45 ft. Width: 400 ft.

  

Directly connected to Laredo by the Texas - Mexican Railroad Hwy.

  

Distance from Laredo: 156 miles

 

Deep Water Port: Houston - 2nd in the U.S. in foreign tonnage, 2nd in total tonnage and is one of the world’s 10 busiest ports.

 

Channel Depth: mean low tide of 40 ft.

  

Width: 400 ft.

  

Directly connected to Laredo by the Texas - Mexican Railroad Hwy.

  

Distance from Laredo: 301 miles

  

C. HIGHWAYS

I.H. 35 - To San Antonio, Dallas & north to the Canadian Border. (Pan American Highway)

Hwy 59 - To Houston, New Orleans & east. (Future I-69 Corridor)

  

Hwy 359 - To Corpus Christi

  

Hwy 83 - To Brownsville (east) & El Paso (west) (Proposed port-to-plain corridor)

D. MOTOR FREIGHT

Industrial activity in the Laredo area is served from all points by virtually every motor freight carrier in the U. S. providing interstate services. In addition, Laredo is the only border city serviced by ICC licensed cross border "drayage" carriers that provide international service between Laredo, Texas and Nuevo Laredo, Tamps. Laredo has 515 freight forwarders, 210 trucking companies and 105 licensed U.S. Customs Brokers.

E. RAIL  

Laredo is serviced by Union Pacific Railroad and Kansas City Southern.

 

Union Pacific Railroad, the largest railroad in North America. Union Pacific covers 23 states across two thirds of the United States and has rail lines serving many major cities including Chicago, Kansas City, St. Louis, Memphis, New Orleans, Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, and Houston. UP also has direct connections to all areas of Mexico and Canada. Laredo is Union Pacific's #1 Rail Interchange Gateway on the U.S./Mexico Border.

 

Union Pacific Railroad Fast Facts:

• Route Miles - 32,300
• Employees - 50,000
• Annual Payroll - $3.7 billion
• Purchases Made - $6.9 billion
• Locomotives - 8,500
• Freight Cars - 104,700

KCSR (Kansas City Southern Railroad) interchanges with the BNSF (Burlington Nothern Santa Fe) and UPRR and other U.S. Railroads and owns the KCSM that interchanges at Brownsville and Laredo, Texas. 

  

F. BUS SERVICE  

Americanos USA, Autobuses Latino de Greyhound, El Conejo Bus Lines, El Metro (Laredo Municipal Transit System), Greyhound, Ybarra Brothers, El Aguila (County Transit System), El Expresso Bus Company, and Giros El Paisano

  

G. PARCEL SERVICE

H. TRADE HANDLING SERVICES 

The following Associations can be reached through the Laredo Development Foundation:

Laredo Customs Brokers Association

(LBA)- Laredo’s customhouse brokers are the most experienced on the U.S./Mexico border. Many of the current brokers are operating family-owned companies established in the late 1850's.

Logistics & Manufacturing Association Port Laredo

(LMA) - is an organization established to represent and promote long-term industrial and allied service interest to Los Dos Laredos.

Laredo Transportation Association

(LTA) - Consists of trucking companies, freight forwarders, railroads, and air freight companies.