Tampico was founded upon request of Fray Andres de Olmos with the authorization of the Viceroy Don Luis de Velasco in 1554. Six years later the category of Village of San Luis Potosiwas granted with whatit acquired certain importance as a deep-sea port. Through a government decree dated on November 12th, 1824, the new city was declared as a deep-sea port, which motivated the arrival of settlers from all over the world. This energetic immigration favored the commercial and economic development of the port of the city. After the Spaniards left, the area was re-populated in 1823, the President of Mexico Antonio Lopez de Santa Annagranted the authorizationtofound what it is now the city of Tampico named as Santa Anna de Tamaulipas and then changed the name for Tampico after Santa Anna’s fall.

In 1863 the Central Railway Company was in charge of the construction of the first railway line from San Luis Potosi to Tampico, which started along with the construction of other facilities of the port, such as therubble mound groin and dock, a 28 feet deep navigating canal. The first dock was built in 1870, the rubble mound groin and the dredging were completed in 1889 as well as the cargo facilities, 3 warehouses andfour 145 m docks were also built and concluded in 1903.

At the same time, important oil fields were developed in the area, which brought as a consequence a general increase in the commerce of the region. In 1914 the workers Union Alijadores was formed which 7 years later became and constituted the Cooperative Association that currently operates the port.

Finally, the Integral Port Administration of Tampico, S.A. de C.V. was created on June 29th, 1999, currently known as API Tampico.