The south shore of the harbor
Curtis Bay and Fairfield hold the auto side of the Port of Baltimore. The Maryland Port Administration’s Fairfield and Masonville terminals cover 160 acres for autos and ro-ro, and Fairfield was first developed with Toyota on a 44-acre lease. Amports runs the private Chesapeake and Atlantic terminals, 250 acres more. In all, the port has 710 acres for autos and ro-ro, and it handled 728,225 autos and light trucks in 2025, No. 2 in the United States and the thirteenth straight year above 700,000. Beside the auto yards, CNX Marine Terminals loads coal, the cargo that makes Baltimore the No. 2 US port for coal exports. The port is also No. 2 nationally for imported salt, gypsum, aluminum and sugar, cargo that crosses the private bulk piers.
We have no yard here. We coordinate the ro-ro processors, drayage carriers and hazmat-permitted partners who work the south shore. One desk, every building.
Getting there from the pier
Curtis Bay sits on the south side of the Patapsco. Seagirt Marine Terminal, the container terminal, and Dundalk Marine Terminal, the ro-ro and breakbulk terminal, sit on the east side. A container from Seagirt reaches Curtis Bay through the I-895 Baltimore Harbor Tunnel or the I-95 Fort McHenry Tunnel. Call it about 7 miles and 20 minutes. I-695 and I-97 pick up from there toward Glen Burnie and BWI, and Washington DC is about 40 miles from the pier.
This is the side the Key Bridge served. Before March 26, 2024, I-695 crossed the river from Sparrows Point straight into Curtis Bay. Until the rebuild opens in late 2030 at a cost of $4.3 billion to $5.2 billion, every cross-harbor truck takes a tunnel, about 9 to 10 more miles than the bridge route. Hazmat and anything over 14 feet 6 inches high or 11 feet wide may not use either tunnel and loops the west side of I-695: 30 to 35 extra miles, 45 to 60 minutes. Curtis Bay feels this more than most districts, because bulk and energy cargo bring hazmat and oversize loads. Vehicles land here without a tunnel. Containers and project pieces from Seagirt do not. The Key Bridge routing guide has the detail.
Industrial parks and who is there
The Energy Parkway cluster is the warehouse address for Curtis Bay, a run of distribution buildings behind the terminals that serves the auto and bulk trades. The Fairfield industrial area wraps the auto terminals and the coal pier. Curtis Bay and Fairfield belong to the port-adjacent industrial belt of Baltimore City, with Canton, Holabird and the Baltimore Peninsula. The city and the Baltimore County east side together have about 1.1 million square feet of industrial space under construction. The Fairfield auto terminals page describes the yards.
What we run in Curtis Bay
Ro-ro logistics: vehicles roll off at Fairfield, Masonville, Chesapeake or Atlantic and move to partner processors for accessory fit, inspection and rail or truck delivery. Hazmat logistics: our hazmat-permitted carrier partners move Class 9 lithium-ion battery storage units and the other regulated cargo the south shore handles, always on the I-695 loop and never through a tunnel. Containerized lithium-ion BESS ships as UN3536 and cells as UN3480. Drayage: containers from Seagirt reach Energy Parkway partner docks through the Harbor Tunnel, with the tunnel height rule checked before dispatch.
Metals, minerals and bulk shippers use the same desk for the coal, salt and aluminum that cross the private piers, and energy project cargo partners stage transformers and generators here before the loop west.
FTZ 74 and duty deferral
Curtis Bay and Fairfield are in Baltimore City, the home jurisdiction of Foreign Trade Zone No. 74. The Baltimore Development Corporation administers the zone for the city and for Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Cecil, Harford, Howard and Queen Anne’s counties. Imported vehicles and parts in a zone-status partner warehouse defer customs duty until they leave for the US market. Customs clearance is coordinated through our licensed customs broker partners. The FTZ 74 guide explains the steps.
What to send for a quote
- Terminal and vessel, or the unit or container numbers already landed.
- Vehicle or unit count, or container count and size.
- Commodity, HS code and hazmat class and UN number if any.
- Height, width and weight of any oversize piece.
- Delivery point: Energy Parkway, Fairfield, or across the harbor to Dundalk and Seagirt.
- Processing needed: accessory fit, inspection, storage or direct delivery.
Send it to operations@sams3pl.com or call (419) 745-9492. We reply within one business day. The quote form takes the same details.
Questions shippers ask
01Which terminals handle autos at Curtis Bay and Fairfield?
The Maryland Port Administration’s Fairfield and Masonville terminals, 160 acres, and the private Chesapeake and Atlantic terminals run by Amports, 250 acres. The port has 710 acres for autos and ro-ro in all.
02How does a container get from Seagirt to Curtis Bay?
Through the I-895 Baltimore Harbor Tunnel or the I-95 Fort McHenry Tunnel, about 7 miles and 20 minutes. Curtis Bay is on the south side of the harbor and Seagirt on the east.
03Can hazmat use the tunnels to reach Curtis Bay?
No. Hazmat and loads over 14 feet 6 inches high or 11 feet wide loop the west side of I-695, about 30 to 35 extra miles and 45 to 60 minutes, until the Key Bridge reopens in late 2030.
04Is Curtis Bay inside Foreign Trade Zone 74?
Yes. Curtis Bay and Fairfield are in Baltimore City, the home jurisdiction of FTZ 74, which the Baltimore Development Corporation administers.
05Do you own a yard at Curtis Bay?
No. We coordinate ro-ro processors, hazmat-permitted carriers and partner warehouses on the south shore from one desk.