Port Everglades, Florida
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Port Everglades is a
seaport A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manc ...
in
Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale ( ) is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and most populous city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it ...
, Florida, located in Broward County. Port Everglades is one of South Florida's foremost economic engines, as it is the gateway for both international trade and cruise vacations. In 2022, Port Everglades was ranked the third-busiest cruise homeport, accommodating more than 1.72 million passengers. Port Everglades' cargo sector has climbed the rankings based on its operational performance among 348 seaports in the world. The port is also one of Florida's main seaports for energy products including gasoline,
jet fuel Jet fuel or aviation turbine fuel (ATF, also abbreviated avtur) is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in aircraft powered by Gas turbine, gas-turbine engines. It is colorless to straw-colored in appearance. The most commonly used fuels for ...
, and
alternative fuel Alternative fuels, also known as non-conventional and advanced fuels, are fuels derived from sources other than petroleum. Alternative fuels include gaseous fossil fuels like propane, natural gas, methane, and ammonia; biofuels like biodies ...
s. The port serves as the primary storage and distribution seaport for refined petroleum products. Port Everglades distributes fuel to 12 Florida counties and supplies jet fuel to four international airports. The Port Everglades Department is a self-supporting enterprise fund of the Broward County government, with operating revenues of approximately $151.7 million in Fiscal Year 2022. The port does not rely on local property taxes for operations. The total value of economic activity at Port Everglades is approximately $33 billion annually. Approximately 216,000 statewide jobs are impacted by the port, including nearly 9,600 people who work for companies that provide direct services to Port Everglades. Port Everglades is the #1 seaport in Florida by revenue as well as one of the top container ports in the state. Port Everglades is consistently ranked among the top three multi-day cruise homeports in the world with 702 ship calls and 1.72 million passengers in Fiscal Year 2022, and the #2 petroleum port in Florida with 588 ship calls and 125.8 million barrels.


History

Port Everglades is composed of land within three municipalities,
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...
,
Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale ( ) is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and most populous city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it ...
and Dania Beach and unincorporated Broward County. Port Everglades is a man-made seaport. The port was originally dredged from Lake Mabel, a natural body of water that was a wide and shallow section of the Florida East Coast Canal system. In 1911, the Florida Board of Trade passed a resolution that called for a deep-water port. The port was originally intended to ship produce to the North and the West. In 1913, the
Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale ( ) is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and most populous city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it ...
Harbor Company was formed and eventually dug out the Lake Mabel Cut, which opened the New River to the sea and created access for small boats. In 1924, the founder and mayor of the city of Hollywood, Florida, Joseph Wesley Young, bought of land adjacent to the lake. He then created the Hollywood Harbor Development Company. Three years later, the Florida Legislature established the Broward County Port Authority. On February 22, 1928, 85 percent of Broward County's residents gathered for a ceremony in which President
Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States, serving from 1923 to 1929. A Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer from Massachusetts, he previously ...
was to push a button from the White House detonating explosives to remove the rock barrier separating the harbor from the
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
. The button malfunctioned, but the barrier was removed shortly thereafter. Bay Mabel Harbor was dedicated on February 22, 1928. Many of South Florida's local women's clubs agreed that the port needed a new name to better represent the region. They held a name changing contest, and the name Port Everglades was selected. The reason for this was as follows: "The gateway to the rich agricultural area embraced in the at the Port's very backdoor." The container handling capacity of the port was increased with a new terminal, completed in 2010. The expansion increased Port Everglades' freight handling area by 15%. In 2015, the US Army Corps of Engineers approved a new phase of expansion for Port Everglades with the deepening and widening of the port's channels. The project received federal authorization in December 2016 under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act. The port served ships from Europe and South America that were too large to fit through the
Panama Canal The Panama Canal () is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It cuts across the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama, and is a Channel (geography), conduit for maritime trade between th ...
, but the ships still had to be under a certain load to fit properly in the port. The expansion was planned to increase main navigational channels from to , and to deepen and widen both the Entrance Channel and parts of the
Intracoastal Waterway The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) is a Navigability, inland waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United States, running from Massachusetts southward along the Atlantic Seaboard and around the southern tip of Florida, the ...
. The project was planned to be completed in 2028, create approximately 4,789 construction jobs and 1,491 direct jobs locally, and cost $509.6 million. In February 2020, the port received $29.1 million from
Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
for the Intracoastal Waterway portion of the expansion; a section of the Waterway would be widened by 250 feet and be completed by 2023. The remaining funds, estimated up to $437 million, is expected to arrive at the end of 2021 and fund the deepening portion of the project, now scheduled to be completed between 2024 and 2026. In May 2017, Port Everglades received approval to begin the Southport Turning Notch Extension (STNE) project, its largest capital improvement project in the Port's history. The existing deepwater turn-around area would be lengthened by 1,500 feet, from 900 feet to 2,400 feet. The lengthening makes it possible for up to five new cargo ship berths to be added. Additionally, existing gantry crane rails will be extended, and three new super-post-Panamax container gantry cranes were manufactured to supplement the expansion. The STNE also replaced 8.7 acres of an existing
mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen a ...
conservation easement In the United States, a conservation easement (also called conservation covenant, conservation restriction or conservation servitude) is a power invested in a qualified land conservation organization called a "land trust", or a governmental (muni ...
with a 16.5-acre mangrove upland easement. In June 2017, Port Everglades received approval to purchase the three new gantry cranes and in June 2018, Port Everglades Chief Executive Steven Cernak gave the approval to begin manufacturing three "Super Post-
Panamax Panamax and New Panamax (or Neopanamax) are terms for the size limits for ships traveling through the Panama Canal. The limits and requirements are published by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) in a publication titled "Vessel Requirements". ...
" gantry cranes to increase the port's cargo volume. Each crane, manufactured by ZPMC, cost $13.8 million, and measures 175 feet tall. They were expected to arrive in 2020.


Cruise ship operations

Port Everglades is one of the busiest cruise/passenger ports in the world. It accommodates major cruise lines such as
Princess Princess is a title used by a female member of a regnant monarch's family or by a female ruler of a principality. The male equivalent is a prince (from Latin '' princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for ...
, Royal Caribbean,
Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...
,
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
, and
Celebrity Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group due to the attention given to them by mass media. The word is also used to refer to famous individuals. A person may attain celebrity status by having great w ...
, among others''.'' Over 3 million cruise passengers pass through the port each year (FY2023/2024).


Current passenger terminals


Impact and recognition


Influence on Broward County

Port Everglades has a large economic impact on Broward County. In FY2019, the Port generated over $32 billion in economic activity and more than 219,000 statewide jobs. As the third-busiest cruise homeport in the world, it directly affects the region's tourism industry, with more than 3.89 million cruise passengers arriving in 2019 According to a 2015 study, 62% of surveyed passengers stayed in South Florida for at least a night prior to their cruise and 21% arrived at their cruise directly from
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...
. 21% of surveyed passengers stayed in South Florida after their cruise. In Fiscal Year 2022, Port Everglades generated over $33 billion in business activity. The port also generated over 216,000 jobs throughout the state of Florida. This resulted in a total of $809,333 taxes collected on the state and local level. In 2017, Port Everglades was also ranked America's second-largest port for exports to Cuba, behind Port of Brunswick in
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
. Condominium residents who live in buildings next to the channel of Port Everglades often bid bon voyage to cruise ships as they embark on their voyages from Port Everglades with the "Condo Salute." The residents blow horns, ring bells, or wave scarves, and the ships often respond by blowing their horns back.


Notable ships

Ships sail from Port Everglades year-round, but the peak season for cruise travel from Port Everglades is from November to April, with most itineraries sailing to the
Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
. Port Everglades was once home to when she was laid up as a museum ship from 1968 until 1970. Besides RMS ''Queen Elizabeth'', Port Everglades has been used to dock many notable and famous ships. In 2004, completed her maiden voyage and her maiden transatlantic voyage at Port Everglades. In the 21st century, Port Everglades has been the homeports for four of one of the largest passenger ships in the world, the ships. In December 2009,
Royal Caribbean International Royal Caribbean International (RCI), formerly Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL), is a cruise line founded in 1968 in Norway and organized as a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Group since 1997. Based in Miami, Florida, it is the l ...
began using Port Everglades as the home port for . In late 2010, she was joined at Port Everglades by her sister ship, . In April 2017, Port Everglades became the homeport for from April 2017 until May 2019. and in 2022 the made her debut sailing from Port Everglades. In November 2018, performed her maiden call at Port Everglades. In anticipation of her arrival, Port Everglades invested $120 million into the port's first-ever brand-designed cruise terminal at Terminal 25, the largest investment that Port Everglades has made towards any cruise terminal at the port. With this development, it is expected that
Celebrity Cruises Celebrity Cruises is a cruise line headquartered in Miami, Florida, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Group. Celebrity Cruises was founded in 1988 by the Greece-based Chandris Group, and merged with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line in ...
will bring about 500,000 travelers to Port Everglades. Disney Cruise Line's second homeport was chosen at Port Everglades' Terminal 4. The terminal exclusively serves Disney Cruise Line ships, with the Disney Magic currently homeported there. The terminal's exterior design is based on Disney's original homeport at Port Canaveral, while the interior features a ''
Finding Nemo ''Finding Nemo'' is a 2003 American animated comedy-drama adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. The film was directed by Andrew Stanton, co-directed by Lee Unkrich, and produced by Graham Walters, from ...
'' theme. This port began embarking guests on November 20, 2023.


Records and achievements

Seatrade Insider named Port Everglades "World's Top Cruise Port" for 2010. Between 2009 and 2016, Port Everglades was named Best U.S. Homeport by Porthole Cruise Magazine several times. Port Everglades' growth has also been marked in a series of world record for most cruise passengers in a single day. On December 21, 2003, the port hosted a world record of 15 cruise ships, processing 44,108 passengers. On March 20, 2010, there were 53,365 passengers. On December 20, 2015, there were 53,485 passengers. On March 13, 2016, there were 55,885 passengers. On December 1, 2019, there were 55,964 passengers.


Timeline

*In 1911, the Florida Board of Trade passed a resolution calling for a deep-water port to ship farmers' produce to the North and West. *In 1913, the Fort Lauderdale Harbor Company was formed and eventually dug out the Lake Mabel Cut, opening the New River to the sea for small boats. *In 1924, Joseph Wesley Young, founder and mayor of the city of Hollywood, bought 1,440 acres of land adjacent to the lake and created Hollywood Harbor Development Company. *In 1926, Young helped get a $2 million harbor improvement bond measure overwhelmingly passed by voters in
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...
and
Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale ( ) is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and most populous city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it ...
. *In 1927, the Florida State Legislature establishes the Broward County Port Authority. *On February 22, 1928, 85 percent of Broward County's residents gathered for a ceremony in which President
Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States, serving from 1923 to 1929. A Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer from Massachusetts, he previously ...
was to push a button from the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...
detonating explosives to remove the rock barrier separating the harbor from the ocean. Nothing happened, but the barrier was removed shortly thereafter. *In 1928, Port Everglades was named through a contest conducted by several area women's groups. *In 1929, Fort Lauderdale dedicated its first airport. That same year, the Port project was completed and the Port obtained certificates for construction of a railway connecting the Port to the
Florida East Coast Railway The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida, currently owned by Grupo México. Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a p ...
. *In 1929, the SS Vogtland became the first cargo ship and first foreign-flagged vessel to enter Port Everglades. *In 1931, Port Everglades welcomed
United Fruit Co. The United Fruit Company (later the United Brands Company) was an American multinational corporation that traded in tropical fruit (primarily bananas) grown on Latin American plantations and sold in the United States and Europe. The company was ...
, as the port's first official cruise line. *In 1931, Aeroland Oil Co. is the first petroleum company to enter into an agreement for land and pipeline easements. Belcher (Coastal Fuels), Standard Oil ( Chevron) and American Oil (
Amoco Amoco ( ) is a brand of filling station, fuel stations operating in the United States and owned by British conglomerate BP since 1998. The Amoco Corporation was an American chemical and petroleum, oil company, founded by Standard Oil Company i ...
) follow suit. *1941-1943, Port Everglades is used as a military base for the U.S. Navy. *The 1940s saw a burgeoning military presence and the 1950s brought cruise liners from around the world to the Port. Around that time, the Fort Lauderdale Rotary Club began greeting ships with Florida orange juice. The tradition continued for 20 years. *1960s: The Broward County Port Authority was renamed the Port Everglades Authority and the site of the future Southport cargo terminal was purchased. *1970s: The Port became the center of Florida's first Foreign trade zone. *1980s: The Port purchased its first rail-mounted container
gantry crane A gantry crane is a Crane (machine), crane built atop a wikt:gantry, gantry, which is a structure used to straddle an object or workspace. They can range from enormous "full" gantry cranes, capable of lifting some of the heaviest loads in the wor ...
. *1990s: The Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center opened at Northport, two parking garages were completed and on November 22, 1994, Port Everglades' governance was transferred from the Port Authority to the Broward County government. *In 1994, Port Everglades becomes an enterprise fund governed by Broward County. *2000s: Port Everglades continuously breaks its own world record for handling the most cruise passengers. *In 2001, Port Everglades dedicated a new Operations Center and Harbormaster Tower constructed atop the Midport Parking Garage. Port Everglades also celebrated its 70th cruise season hosting the world's largest collection of five star ships. *In 2003, on February 28, port users and customers celebrated the 75th Anniversary of Port Everglades. *In 2004, Port Everglades greeted the Queen. Cunard Line's , the world's largest ocean liner, as she made her first visit to mainland U.S. from the UK, by arriving at Port Everglades, her U.S. winter home port. QM2 is the longest, widest, tallest and most expensive ocean liner ever built. *In 2009, Port Everglades opened the World's Largest Cruise Terminal and home of Royal Caribbean's 5,400-passenger , the largest cruise ship in the world at the time. *In 2010, ''Oasis of the Seas'' was joined by , making Port Everglades home to the two largest cruise ships in the world. *In March 2011, the Broward County Board of County Commissioners approved an update of the Port'
20-Year Master/Vision Plan
that includes key cargo expansion projects over the next six years that will add five berths, widen and deepen the channel to and bring freight rail into the port. *In 2012, Port Everglades was the first port in Florida to join the Green Marine program, which helps ports meet various standards to improve environmental impact and reduce the footprint of the port. *In 2015, Port Everglades was approved for expansion by the US Army Corps of Engineers. *In March 2016, Port Everglades broke the
Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...
for number of cruisers in a day at 55,885.


See also

* United States container ports


References


External links

*
History of Port Everglades

Port Everglades Webcam


{{Coord, 26.086022, -80.115287, display=title Cruise seaports Everglades, Port Economy of Fort Lauderdale, Florida Transportation in Fort Lauderdale, Florida Geography of Broward County, Florida Tourist attractions in Broward County, Florida 1928 establishments in Florida Transportation buildings and structures in Broward County, Florida