Tell City River Port and Hoosier Southern Drive Perry County Economy
The Perry County Port Authority operates the Tell City River Port and the 22 mile Hoosier Southern Railroad, sustaining local industry by linking river traffic to national rail networks. That multimodal connection matters to residents because it supports local manufacturing, keeps bulk commodity flows moving, and preserves access to national and international markets.
The Tell City River Port, located at mile marker 727 on the Ohio River, and the Hoosier Southern Railroad together form a key logistics hub for Perry County. The port specializes in handling bulk materials including pig iron, coke, coal and woodchips, and offers several buildings plus large paved storage areas along with team track and transloading services. The Hoosier Southern is a 22 mile short line that connects industrial sites in Perry and Spencer counties to Norfolk Southern at Lincoln City, extending local businesses reach into national and international supply chains.
Local manufacturers and industrial sites in the Tell City and Santa Claus industrial parks rely on the port and railroad for inbound raw materials and outbound shipments. That relationship has been in place since the 1990s when the Perry County Port Authority assumed operations, establishing the port and short line as an economic anchor for rail served manufacturing and bulk commodity trade. The presence of storage buildings and transloading capability reduces handling costs for heavy materials, an advantage for cost sensitive operations in the county.
For Perry County residents the immediate impacts are tangible. Keeping commodities moving by river and rail helps preserve transportation jobs and supports the customer base for local truckers and warehousing businesses. For property tax revenues and local payrolls the continuity of rail served industry influences municipal budgets and planning. Businesses that face high freight rates on trucks alone can gain competitive advantages through the port interchange to Norfolk Southern, which opens broader markets without requiring businesses to change location.
Policy considerations for county leaders include infrastructure maintenance, river navigation support, and coordination with state and federal funding programs to ensure the port and railroad remain reliable. Investment in pavement, track upkeep and transload equipment would help guard against supply disruptions and could attract new industrial tenants seeking multimodal access. Residents and businesses looking for operational details can find office hours and contact information on the Perry County Port Authority and Hoosier Southern websites.
