Tell City River Port, Hoosier Southern Strengthen Perry County Logistics
The Perry County Port Authority operates the Tell City River Port and the Hoosier Southern short line railroad, providing river and rail links that connect local industry to national and international markets. Those multimodal services handle bulk commodities at Ohio River mile marker 727 and give Perry County manufacturers a competitive logistics advantage for recruiting and retaining employers.
The Tell City River Port and the Hoosier Southern Railroad form a concentrated logistics hub for Perry County, moving bulk materials by barge and rail and linking local businesses to broader markets. The port sits on the Ohio River at mile marker 727 and provides bulk loading and offloading, transloading, covered and uncovered storage, and weighing services. The Hoosier Southern Railroad runs roughly 22 miles through Perry and Spencer counties, connecting the port in Tell City with a class I interchange at Lincoln City where it interchanges with Norfolk Southern. In addition, the port serves multiple barge lines on the river, creating direct access to national and international freight routes.
These capabilities matter for local employers and prospects because multimodal access lowers logistics costs and expands market reach. The combined river and rail connection has been central to industrial recruitment and retention in Perry County, notably when Waupaca Foundry located nearby in the 1990s. Local economic development officials and the Port Authority promote the port and railroad as assets to attract new business, support existing firms, and sustain regional supply chains that depend on commodities such as pig iron, coke, coal and woodchips.
Operationally, the Port Authority administers industrial development support and commercial services while the Hoosier Southern Railroad, headquartered in Tell City, handles line operations and freight movements. The integration with Norfolk Southern at Lincoln City provides a gateway to the national rail network, while barge services on the Ohio River connect shippers to inland and coastal trade lanes. That multimodal flexibility is a strategic advantage for manufacturers and distributors weighing site location decisions.
For businesses and residents, the port and railroad represent both a current economic engine and a durable piece of infrastructure for future growth. For operational specifics, business inquiries or scheduling, consult the Perry County Port Authority website contact and operations pages.
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