# Houston demurrage: Bayport, Barbours Cut and last free day

Port Houston's container terminals are Bayport and Barbours Cut. The port publishes tariffs, a container availability portal (Lynx) and its own holiday schedule, which differs from the US federal holidays. Use the last free day calculator with port code USHOU and confirm the date against the port's calendar. We do not copy port tariffs.


## The terminals and the tariffs

Port Houston operates two container terminals, per its gate information page:

- **Bayport Container Terminal**, 12621 Port Road, Pasadena, Texas.
- **Barbours Cut Container Terminal** (the port's tariff names it the Fentress Bracewell Barbours Cut Container Terminal), 1515 E. Barbours Cut Boulevard, La Porte, Texas.

Its [tariffs page](https://porthouston.com/toolbox/rates/tariffs/) says the port has three tariffs: No. 8 for the Houston Ship Channel and public-owned wharves, No. 14 for Barbours Cut and No. 15 for Bayport. On 2026-10-21 the latest editions listed are effective September 1, 2026, and earlier editions are listed by date. The port also offers a price estimate tool there. We do not reproduce free time or rates; open the edition in force on the day your container was discharged.

A terminal tariff charge is a terminal schedule charge, separate from a carrier's demurrage and detention tariff; see [demurrage vs detention](/en/demurrage/vs/). The invoice has to name the rule behind the rate (46 CFR 541.6(c)(2)).

## Where to check availability and pay

- **Lynx** is Port Houston's customer service portal. Its overview lists visibility of vessel schedules, booking and bill of lading inquiries, container availability queries, gate transaction details, availability notifications and container holds. Sign-in and sign-up are on the [port's Lynx page](https://porthouston.com/toolbox/container-terminals/portal/); the portal is at [csp.porthouston.com/lynx](https://csp.porthouston.com/lynx/).
- **Mobile customer access** (mca.porthouston.com) has a Container Availability query for Bayport and Barbours Cut.
- **Payment.** The port's [online payments page](https://porthouston.com/toolbox/rates/online-payments/) says sustained import dwell fees, excessive import dwell fees and terminal exam fees must be paid through Lynx, by credit card or guarantee. It does not give amounts in that note, and neither do we.
- **Gates.** Truckers need a mandatory Express Pass appointment for the container terminals, which the port ties to Lynx, and the port posts gate cameras. See [gate information](https://porthouston.com/toolbox/container-terminals/gate-information/).

## The port's own holidays

The port's [hours and holiday schedule](https://porthouston.com/toolbox/terminals/hours-and-schedules/) for the Bayport and Barbours Cut container terminals differs from the federal list. For 2026 it shows Good Friday (April 3) as gates closed, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day as gates closed, and shortened gate hours on days such as Juneteenth, Independence Day (observed), the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. Saturdays and Sundays are closed, with an extended gate request form for access outside normal hours. A tariff that counts working days by "days the gate is open" can therefore count differently from one that skips federal holidays: read the tariff's definition.

## How the calculator handles Houston

Use port code **USHOU** in the calculator. It counts from the date you enter using the carrier's published US tariff, prefers a port row over an all-ports row, and says "not calculated" when the tariff does not state when counting starts or we hold no tariff. For working-day tariffs it skips Sundays and the federal holidays below; it does not know Good Friday or any other terminal closure, so confirm the date with the carrier or in Lynx. Our Hapag-Lloyd rows include Houston.

{{< button href="demurrage/last-free-day/" text="Last free day calculator" >}}

{{< carrier-links kind="us" label="Carrier pages" >}}

If an invoice looks wrong:

{{< button href="demurrage/letter/" text="Draft a letter" >}}

{{< linkrow >}}[What a US invoice must show](/en/fmc/){{< /linkrow >}}

{{< linkrow label="Other ports" >}}
[Los Angeles and Long Beach](/en/demurrage/los-angeles-long-beach/)
[New York and New Jersey](/en/demurrage/new-york-new-jersey/)
[Savannah](/en/demurrage/savannah/)
{{< /linkrow >}}

Rail from Houston: [rail intermodal storage](/en/demurrage/rail/).

## US federal holidays used for working days

{{< holidays-us >}}


## FAQ

**Where do I check if my container is available at Port Houston?**

In Port Houston's Lynx customer service portal, which lists container availability queries, gate transactions and container holds, or in the port's mobile customer access page. Both are linked from the port's terminal toolbox.

**Does Port Houston close on days that are not US federal holidays?**

Its 2026 container terminal holiday schedule lists Good Friday (April 3) as gates closed, and shortened hours on days such as the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. The calculator skips only Sundays and US federal holidays, so check the port's schedule.

**Which Port Houston tariffs exist?**

Three: Tariff No. 8 (Houston Ship Channel and public-owned wharves), No. 14 (Barbours Cut Container Terminal) and No. 15 (Bayport Container Terminal). The port lists the editions by effective date.


## Sources

- [Port Houston: Tariffs](https://porthouston.com/toolbox/rates/tariffs/)
- [Port Houston: Hours of operation and holiday schedules](https://porthouston.com/toolbox/terminals/hours-and-schedules/)
- [Port Houston: Shipping information and Lynx portal](https://porthouston.com/toolbox/container-terminals/portal/)
- [Port Houston: Online credit card payments](https://porthouston.com/toolbox/rates/online-payments/)
- [Port Houston: Gate information](https://porthouston.com/toolbox/container-terminals/gate-information/)

Canonical: https://purserhouse.com/en/demurrage/houston/