Port of Tanjung Perak is one of gateways of Indonesia, which becomes goods collector and distribution from and to Eastern Indonesia including East Java. Because of its strategic position and the existence of surrounding advantageous hinterlands, port of Tanjung Perak constitutes the center of inter island shipping for Eastern Indonesia.
Previously the oceangoing vessels did loading and unloading activities at Madura Strait and then freighted the cargoes by the means of barges and boats to Jembatan Merah (the first port in that time) situated along Kalimas River, at heart of Surabaya city.

Due to the increases of trade, cargo and transportation traffics, the facilities available at Port were inadequate. Therefore in 1875 Ir. W. de Jonght planned to build Port of Tanjung Perak so that the loading and unloading activities could be carried out directly without using barges and boats. Yet this plan was rejected since it needed a lot of funds.
During 19th century the port construction could not be found while cargo transport traffics settled in Jembatan Merah were sustained in their increase number. The plan of port construction is introduced by ir. W. de Jongth was neglected.

In the first ten years of 20th Ir. W.B. Van Goor made a more realistic plan, which was, all the oceangoing vessels might move closer to the quay (berthing). Two experts were expected to come from the Netherlands namely, Prof DR. Kraus and G.J. de jong and to give any proposals on port construction planning of Tanjung Perak Port.
After 1910 the physical construction of Tanjung Perak Port was initiated and during the accomplishment of port construction the demand of using incomplete –- built quay rose in number.

The finishing of quay construction facilitated the oceangoing vessels to do their loading and unloading activities at port. Port of Kalimas later functioned to be a port with providing service for traditional transport and sailing boats, in the meantime the port at Jembatan Merah was gradually abandoned.
Therefore, starting from that time Port of Tanjung Perak started to take part in contributing economic development in a quite large scale and to have important role in increasing trade traffic both at East Java and whole parts of Eastern Indonesia.

To support the task, the construction of inter island terminal was completed in 1983 known as Mirah Terminal. For the interests of inter island vessel passengers, there was a passenger terminal located at North of Jamrud area. Next to the passenger terminal, a fery terminal was built for the service of passengers with Surabaya –- Madura destination on 24 hours service.
Time was passing and Port of Tanjung Perak had showed its strategic role as national gateway port. Then a container terminal was planned to build and its physical construction was finished in 1992.
Container terminal is acknowledged as Terminal Petikemas Surabaya. Those various facilities put Port of Tanjung Perak in the movements of continuously supporting the development of Surabaya city and the territories around.