The Twin Ports are located at the western part of Lake Superior (the westernmost part of North America's Great Lakes) and together are considered one of the larger cargo ports in the United States.

[3] The Twin Ports are close to many natural attractions such as the North Shore, the Apostle Islands, and the Superior National Forest.

[4] Each bridge reaches across more than 1.5 miles (2.5 km) across the mouth of the Saint Louis River.

It must be raised each time a vessel enters or leaves Duluth's harbor; the inlet on the Wisconsin side is not similarly obstructed.

With a 2020 census population of 291,638, the Duluth MSA ranked as the 170th largest metropolitan area in the United States.