The Port of Lake Charles is a deepwater seaport at Lake Charles, Louisiana, on the U.S. Gulf Coast. The Port manages the Calcasieu Ship Channel, which runs inland 36 miles and extends out into the Gulf of Mexico another 32 miles. The Port of Lake Charles is officially the Lake Charles Harbor & Terminal District, a public body created by the Louisiana Legislature. The District encompasses 203 square miles in Calcasieu Parish, and accommodates some 5 million tons of cargo annually at its public facilities.