Houston, TX to Mexicali, BCN freight

Lanes/

The Houston to Mexicali corridor runs southbound from the U.S. into Mexico and typically crosses at Calexico East.

Direction

Southbound (U.S. to Mexico)

Equipment on this lane

Dry van-led, with open deck demand

Carrier availability

Vetted carriers cover this corridor

Marketplace activity

Posted by brokers on the Cargado marketplace

<div class="lane-viz"><div class="lane-viz-mapwrap"><img class="lane-viz-map" src="https://cargado-lane-maps.pages.dev/houston-tx-to-mexicali-bcn.svg" alt="Houston, TX to Mexicali, BCN freight route map on Cargado" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="620"></div><div class="lane-viz-panel"><div class="lane-viz-title">Transit time</div><div class="tr"><div class="trrow"><div class="trl"><div class="trlabel">U.S. leg</div><div class="trroute">Houston, TX <span class="arr">→</span> Calexico, CA</div></div><b>3 days</b></div><div class="trrow"><div class="trl"><div class="trlabel">Border crossing</div><div class="trroute">Calexico, CA <span class="arr">→</span> Mexicali, BCN</div></div><b>1–3 days</b></div><div class="trrow"><div class="trl"><div class="trlabel">Mexico leg</div><div class="trroute">Delivery in Mexicali, BCN</div></div><b>1 day</b></div><div class="trrow tot"><span>Total transit</span><b>5–7 days</b></div></div><div class="lane-viz-title">Typical market range</div><div class="lane-rate-band" style="font-size:1.75rem;font-weight:700;color:#16295c;margin:.15rem 0 .6rem">$2K–$3K</div><a class="lane-cta" href="https://cargado.com/brokers/get-a-demo">Request a demo for detailed rates </a><div class="lane-viz-fine">Estimated drive time by road, split at the border. Border dwell varies with documentation and crossing.</div></div></div>

This corridor connects the Houston market (Houston, Pasadena, Baytown, La Porte, Rosenberg, and Freeport) with the Mexicali market (Mexicali, Ejido Cuernavaca, Ejido Puebla, Batáquez, Ejido Michoacán de Ocampo, and Colonia Mariano Abasolo), running southbound from the U.S. Brokers post this corridor to the Cargado marketplace.

Recent carrier bids on this corridor typically land in the $2K–$3K range. Request a demo to see detailed, current rates for this lane.

What ships from Houston

Freight out of the Houston market leans toward plastics and packaging, chemicals and additives and fresh produce based on what brokers actually post there. You can read more on the freight types pages.

Equipment on this corridor

Dry van-led, with open deck demand. Browse equipment definitions in the glossary if a term is unfamiliar.

Where this lane picks up

Carriers on this lane pick up across the Houston area: Houston, Pasadena, Baytown, La Porte, Rosenberg, Freeport, Waller, and Katy. Nearby markets that feed it include Beaumont, College Station, Victoria, Austin, Waco, and Tyler.

Where this lane delivers

Carriers on this lane deliver across the Mexicali area: Mexicali, Ejido Cuernavaca, Ejido Puebla, Batáquez, Ejido Michoacán de Ocampo, Colonia Mariano Abasolo, Nuevo León, and Ejido El Choropo. It also reaches nearby markets like Calexico, San Luis Río Colorado, Yuma, Tecate, and Blythe.

Border crossing

Most freight on this corridor crosses at Calexico East. Loads either run direct with a through-trailer or transload at the border, and the transfer step is priced into carrier bids. See transloading and the Calexico East crossing page.

Brokers post corridors like this to Cargado's marketplace, where vetted Mexico and Canada carriers bid and every counterparty is vetted before the first load moves.

More lanes from these markets

Every lane guide for Mexicali is listed on its lane hub, by direction and destination country.

The markets on this lane

Origin market

Houston, TX

Houston is the Gulf Coast's main gateway for containers, refined fuels, petrochemicals, steel and project cargo. The Houston Ship Channel is the nation's largest port by waterborne tonnage, and Port Houston's two container terminals handled a record 4.3 million TEUs in 2025. Freight moves on to Texas and the U.S. interior by Union Pacific, BNSF and CPKC rail and by truck, and toward Mexico on US 59 to Laredo.

Industries: Refined fuels, petrochemicals and plastics, containerized imports and exports, steel and project cargo, warehousing and distribution

Seaport: Two public container terminals on the Houston Ship Channel (Barbours Cut and Bayport), including a Bayport berth completed in late 2025. 4.3 million TEUs in 2025, a record (operating). Source
Seaport: Multi-purpose terminals for breakbulk, steel, grain and heavy-lift project cargo. Described by the port as the area's largest breakbulk, steel and project cargo complex in North America (operating). Source
Intermodal or rail yard: Union Pacific Settegast intermodal terminal. Container and trailer lifts, open 24 hours (operating). Source
Free-trade zone: Foreign-Trade Zone 84, managed by Port Houston, serving Harris, Waller and Wharton counties. 1,708.58 acres activated; 40 active sites (operating). Source
Airport: George Bush Intercontinental Airport cargo centers. Two cargo centers on 120 acres; more than 564,000 metric tons of air cargo handled by Houston Airports in 2025 (operating). Source
Plant: Oil refining and chemical production in the Houston region. Oil and refined petroleum products are the region's dominant export, followed by organic chemicals. Source

Distribution: Foreign-trade-zone sites in Harris, Waller and Wharton counties, and intermodal lifts at the Union Pacific Settegast terminal.

Destination market

Mexicali, BCN

Mexicali is a border manufacturing city whose merchandise exports are mostly computing and electrical equipment, with farm products making up the rest. Freight crosses at the Calexico East truck port and continues by road or by Ferromex and Union Pacific rail. The local maquiladora association counts 250+ member companies and 91,000 direct jobs.

Industries: Computing equipment, electrical equipment, maquiladora export manufacturing, agriculture

Customs: Calexico East cargo port of entry. 446,835 truck entries from Mexico in 2025 (operating). Source
Plant: Maquiladora export plants in Mexicali. 250+ member companies (IMMEX exporters and supplier allies) and 91,000 direct jobs, per the maquiladora association. Source
Plant: Computing and electrical equipment manufacturing for export. 96 percent of merchandise exports, which totaled US$3,776.4 million in the first quarter of 2025; farm products 4 percent. Source
Customs office: Aduana Sede Mexicali II, import Mon-Fri 8:00 to 20:00 and Sat 10:00 to 14:00, export Mon-Fri 7:00 to 20:00 and Sat 10:00 to 17:00 (operating). Source
Rail: Ferromex and Union Pacific train service in Mexicali; the railroads and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agreed to adjust rail schedules in April 2024 (operating). Source
Airport: Mexicali International Airport. 2,601 m runway (operating). Source

Distribution: Warehouse, trucking and transload operations serving the Calexico East crossing, the Mexicali customs office and its rail customs section.

Market profiles describe industries and facility types from public government, industry, port, railroad and industrial-park sources. They name no shippers, manufacturers, retailers or logistics companies.

Common questions about this lane

How do I find carriers for Houston to Mexicali?

On Cargado, brokers post the corridor and vetted carriers bid on it. Every carrier is verified before it can bid, which replaces cold-calling unknown carriers.

What equipment is available on the Houston to Mexicali corridor?

Postings here are mostly dry van, with some open-deck. If you need a type you do not see, post the load anyway. Carriers with matching equipment get notified automatically.

Does freight on this corridor transload at the border or run direct?

Both happen. Most freight crosses at Calexico East, where carriers either transfer the trailer to a cross-border drayage carrier or run direct with a through-trailer. The bid reflects the carrier's setup.

Moving freight on this lane?

Post it to 2,350+ vetted Mexico and Canada carriers, or check market rates built from real carrier bids before you quote.

Get a demo Request access See shipper rates