This research focuses on the relationships between inland cities and port gateways. A quantitative analysis of 64 inland capital cities situated in coastal countries is proposed based on indicators that relate to ports, transport, trade and urban factors. The identified trends suggest that there is a trade-off between remoteness and openness to trade which leads us to postulate the existence of three typologies of inland cities: major logistics hubs, constrained metropolises and underdeveloped corridors. We conduct a more quantitative review of y intermodalism and port choice issues with reference to via a selection of six case studies. The observed spatial configurations have implications for logistics and governance.