Los Angeles is a United States city that amazes with its splendor, location, numerous architectural monuments, modern business centers and skyscrapers. This city is often synonymous with the sun, the beach and the sea. Los Angeles has its port too, which is called “America’s Port”. It is subordinate to the city’s Harbor Department and covers 3,000 hectares of land and 69 kilometers of water. The website la-future.com will give you more information about this important object.
The Port of Los Angeles provides work for millions of people
The port is of great importance not only for the city but also for the whole country. It is located in San Pedro Bay and employs 529 thousand people in the country and 1.6 million workers worldwide. It receives about 20% of all cargo transported to the country. According to statistics in 2020, China, Japan and Vietnam are major trading partners of this port.
The history of the port
The history of the seaport began in 1542. San Pedro Bay was quite shallow at the time, so vessels could not be moored there. They had to stay far from the shore at anchor and somehow deliver cargo, or sail in the shallows.
Through the efforts of Phineas Banning, shipping was greatly improved. He dredged a canal to Wilmington in 1871, so that year, the port handled 50 thousand tons of shipping traffic. 34 years later, Phineas Banning built the railroad, which became the first in the area, connecting San Pedro Bay with LA.
In 1907, The Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners was established, and two years later, the district became part of the city.
The Southern Pacific Railroad completed the construction of the port’s first major harbor in 1907. The port was developing at a rapid pace, becoming the busiest on the West Coast in the early 20s of the last century. Moreover, it outran San Francisco. In the 1930s, the seaport was intensely expanding. Sailing competitions were also held here during the 1932 Summer Olympics.
The port continued working during World War II, but this time, it served for shipbuilding.
1959 was a milestone year for the American port because the first 20 containers were delivered in this period. The port gradually started shifting to containerization, which is relevant today.
It should be noted that in 2019 there were in total 9.3 million storage units.
In 2021, the Port of Los Angeles broke the record. It became the first seaport in the western hemisphere to handle 10 million containers in a year.
The Port of Los Angeles is not only one of the busiest in the world but also a destination for tourists. Over the years, the LA waterfront has been renewed, giving people the opportunity to come to the ocean. Thus, the infrastructure is being developed, and the coastline is turning into a wonderful place for leisure. There is also a park, museum and cafes on the port’s grounds.
The port significantly contributes to the economy of the city and the country in general. It is considered one of the most valuable and busiest seaports in the world. It regularly handles a large amount of cargo and passengers from Asia (China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam) and other countries. It is obvious that the port activity promotes the city’s development and creates new jobs. We hope this article was informative for you and helped to learn more about the history of your native city.
What interesting facts do you know about the Port of Los Angeles? Have you ever been there? We are looking forward to your comments on social networks.
