Iowa transports nearly $2 billion worth of freight along 361 miles of the inland waterways. That amounts to 12.6 million tons of commodities shipped to, from and within the states river system. Iowa docks ship cargo by barge to 14 states and received commodities from 15 other states, making the state’s rivers a significant source of regional economical growth.
| Iowa 2005 Tonnage by Commodity Groups Shipped From, To and Within the State
(values in millions of dollars) |
|||||
| Commodity | Shipped | Received | Within | Total | Value |
| Coal | 128,226 | 1,731,683 | ** | 1,859,909 | $71 |
| Petroleum | ** | 128,608 | 128,608 | $36 | |
| Aggregates | 126,145 | 230,824 | 356,969 | $9 | |
| Grain | 6,732,355 | 29,266 | ** | 6,761,621 | $1,022 |
| Chemicals | 113,495 | 848,425 | ** | 961,920 | $518 |
| Ores/Minerals | 0 | 495,706 | 495,706 | $51 | |
| Iron/Steel | ** | 136,569 | 136,569 | $80 | |
| Other | 302,656 | 216,105 | 1,405,972 | 1,924,733 | $209 |
| TOTAL | 7,402,877 | 3,817,186 | 1,405,972 | 12,626,035 | $1, 996 |
** Insufficient barge operators to release this tonnage – included in “Other Commodities”
Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Waterborne Commerce Statistics
| Iowa 2005 Commodities Shipped by Barge to and from Other States
(tonnage in thousands of tons; values in millions of dollars) |
|||||||
| Shipments To | Ktons | Value | Top Commodity | Shipments From | Ktons | Value | Top Commodity |
| Louisiana | 6, 062 | $979 | Grain | Illinois | 1, 365 | $57 | Coal |
| Alabama | 464 | $71 | Coal | Louisiana | 1, 340 | $490 | Chemical |
| Minnesota | 296 | $26 | Others | Kentucky | 467 | $59 | Coal |
| Illinois | 246 | $45 | Grain | Missouri | 284 | $15 | Others |
| Tennessee | 99 | $10 | Coal | Minnesota | 155 | $52 | Petroleum |
Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Waterborne Commerce Statistics
