Port Everglades facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Port Everglades |
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| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Broward County, Florida |
| Coordinates | 26°5′10″N 80°6′55″W / 26.08611°N 80.11528°W |
| Details | |
| Opened | 1928 |
| Operated by | Port Everglades |
| Owned by | Broward County, FL |
| Type of harbor | Natural/Artificial |
| Available berths | 44 |
| Draft depth | 44 ft. |
| Chief Executive Officer/Port Director | Jonathan Daniels |
| Statistics | |
| Vessel arrivals | 3,900 in FY2022 |
| Annual container volume | 1,053,078 TEUs (7.3 million tons) in FY2022 |
| Passenger traffic | 1.72 million (3.6 million estimated for FY2023) |
| Annual revenue | $151.7 million in FY2022 |
| Net income | $53.9 million |
| Business activity | $33 billion |
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Port Everglades is a very important seaport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It is located in Broward County. This port is a major hub for both international trade and fun cruise vacations. In 2022, Port Everglades was the third busiest cruise port in the world. It welcomed over 1.72 million passengers. The port's cargo section has also become one of the best globally for how well it operates.
The port is also a main place in Florida for energy products. These include gasoline, jet fuel, and other types of fuel. It stores and sends out refined petroleum products. Port Everglades delivers fuel to 12 counties in Florida. It also supplies jet fuel to four international airports.
The Port Everglades Department is a special part of the Broward County government. It supports itself with its own earnings. In 2022, it made about $151.7 million. The port does not use local property taxes to operate. The total money made from activities at Port Everglades is about $33 billion each year. About 216,000 jobs across Florida are connected to the port. This includes nearly 9,600 people who work directly for companies serving Port Everglades.
Port Everglades is the top seaport in Florida based on its earnings. It is also one of the busiest container ports in the state. It is always ranked among the top three cruise ports in the world. In 2022, 702 cruise ships visited, bringing 1.72 million passengers. It is also the second busiest port in Florida for petroleum. It had 588 ship visits and handled 125.8 million barrels of fuel.
Contents
History of Port Everglades
Port Everglades is a man-made seaport. It sits on land that belongs to three cities: Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale, and Dania Beach. It also includes parts of Broward County that are not in a city. The port was created by digging out Lake Mabel. This was a natural, wide, and shallow part of the Florida East Coast Canal system.
How the Port Was Created
In 1911, people in Florida wanted a deep-water port. They hoped to ship farm products to the North and West. In 1913, the Fort Lauderdale Harbor Company was started. This company dug the Lake Mabel Cut. This cut connected the New River to the sea. It allowed small boats to pass through.
In 1924, Joseph Wesley Young bought 1,440 acres (5.8 km2) of land next to the lake. He was the founder and mayor of Hollywood, Florida. He then created the Hollywood Harbor Development Company. Three years later, the Florida Legislature created the Broward County Port Authority.
The Port's Grand Opening
On February 22, 1928, a special ceremony took place. Eighty-five percent of Broward County's residents gathered. President Calvin Coolidge was supposed to push a button from the White House. This button would set off explosives to remove a rock barrier. This barrier separated the harbor from the Atlantic Ocean. The button did not work, but the barrier was removed soon after.
Bay Mabel Harbor was officially opened on February 22, 1928. Many women's clubs in South Florida thought the port needed a new name. They wanted a name that better showed the region. They held a contest, and the name Port Everglades was chosen. This name was picked because the port was seen as "The gateway to the rich agricultural area" of 4,000,000 acres (1.6 million hectares) nearby.
Expanding the Port's Capacity
In 2010, the port added a new 41-acre (17-hectare) terminal. This expansion made the port's freight handling area 15% larger. This helped the port handle more containers.
In 2015, the US Army Corps of Engineers approved a new expansion plan. This plan would make the port's channels deeper and wider. The project was officially approved in December 2016. It would increase the main channels from 42 feet (13 meters) to 50 feet (15 meters) deep. It would also widen the Entrance Channel and parts of the Intracoastal Waterway. This project was planned to finish by 2028. It was expected to create about 4,789 construction jobs and 1,491 direct jobs locally. The cost was estimated at $509.6 million.
In February 2020, the port received $29.1 million from Congress. This money was for the Intracoastal Waterway part of the expansion. A section of the Waterway would be widened by 250 feet (76 meters) by 2023. The rest of the money, about $437 million, was expected later. This would fund the deepening part of the project. It is now planned to be completed between 2024 and 2026.
Southport Turning Notch Extension
In May 2017, Port Everglades got approval for its largest project ever. This was the Southport Turning Notch Extension (STNE). This project would make the deepwater turn-around area longer. It would go from 900 feet (270 meters) to 2,400 feet (730 meters). This longer area would allow for up to five new cargo ship berths.
The project also included extending existing crane rails. Three new "super-post-Panamax" container cranes were ordered. These cranes are very large and can handle huge cargo ships. The STNE project also replaced 8.7 acres (3.5 hectares) of mangrove conservation land. It created a new 16.5-acre (6.7-hectare) mangrove area. In June 2017, the port got approval to buy the three new cranes. Each crane cost $13.8 million and stands 175 feet (53 meters) tall. They were expected to arrive in 2020.
Port Everglades' Impact and Recognition
Port Everglades has a huge positive effect on Broward County. In 2019, the Port created over $32 billion in economic activity. It also supported more than 219,000 jobs across Florida. As the third-busiest cruise port in the world, it greatly helps the region's tourism. Over 3.89 million cruise passengers arrived in 2019.
A 2015 study showed that 62% of cruise passengers stayed in South Florida for at least one night before their cruise. Also, 21% arrived directly from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Another 21% of passengers stayed in South Florida after their cruise.
In 2022, Port Everglades generated over $33 billion in business activity. It also supported over 216,000 jobs throughout Florida. This led to $809,333 in state and local taxes being collected. In 2017, Port Everglades was America's second-largest port for exports to Cuba. It was only behind Port of Brunswick in Georgia.
The "Condo Salute" Tradition
People who live in buildings next to the Port Everglades channel often wave goodbye to cruise ships. This is called the "Condo Salute." Residents blow horns, ring bells, or wave scarves. The ships often blow their horns back in response.
Famous Ships at Port Everglades
Ships sail from Port Everglades all year. However, the busiest time for cruises is from November to April. Most trips go to the Caribbean. Port Everglades was once home to the RMS Queen Elizabeth. She was docked there as a museum ship from 1968 to 1970.
Many other famous ships have visited Port Everglades. In 2004, the Queen Mary 2 finished her first journey there. This was her first trip across the Atlantic Ocean to the U.S. mainland.
In the 21st century, Port Everglades has been the home for four of the world's largest passenger ships. These are the Oasis-class class ships.
- In December 2009, Royal Caribbean International started using Port Everglades for the Oasis of the Seas.
- In late 2010, her sister ship, the Allure of the Seas, joined her at Port Everglades.
- From April 2017 to May 2019, Port Everglades was home to the Harmony of the Seas.
- In 2022, the newest Oasis-class class ship, the Wonder of the Seas, made her first trip from Port Everglades.
In November 2018, the Celebrity Edge made her first visit to Port Everglades. The port invested $120 million to build its first-ever cruise terminal designed for a specific brand. This was the largest investment the port had made in a cruise terminal. This development is expected to bring about 500,000 travelers to Port Everglades for Celebrity Cruises.
Port Everglades' Achievements
Seatrade Insider named Port Everglades the "World's Top Cruise Port" in 2010. Between 2009 and 2016, Porthole Cruise Magazine named Port Everglades the "Best U.S. Homeport" several times.
Port Everglades has also set world records for the most cruise passengers in a single day:
- On December 21, 2003, the port hosted 15 cruise ships. It processed 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 of Port Everglades
- 1911: The Florida Board of Trade wanted a deep-water port to ship farm goods.
- 1913: The Fort Lauderdale Harbor Company dug the Lake Mabel Cut. This opened the New River to the sea for small boats.
- 1924: Joseph Wesley Young bought 1,440 acres of land near the lake. He created the Hollywood Harbor Development Company.
- 1926: Voters in Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale approved a $2 million bond for harbor improvements.
- 1927: The Florida State Legislature created the Broward County Port Authority.
- 1928: On February 22, President Calvin Coolidge tried to detonate explosives to open the harbor. The button didn't work, but the barrier was removed soon after. Later that year, the port was named Port Everglades through a contest.
- 1929: Fort Lauderdale opened its first airport. The Port project was finished. The Port also got approval to build a railway connecting it to the Florida East Coast Railway. The SS Vogtland became the first cargo ship and first foreign ship to enter Port Everglades.
- 1931: Port Everglades welcomed United Fruit Co., its first official cruise line. Aeroland Oil Co. was the first petroleum company to make an agreement for land and pipelines. Other oil companies followed.
- 1941-1943: Port Everglades was used as a military base by the U.S. Navy.
- 1940s-1950s: The port saw more military use. Cruise liners from around the world began to visit. The Fort Lauderdale Rotary Club started greeting ships with Florida orange juice. This tradition lasted 20 years.
- 1960s: The Broward County Port Authority was renamed the Port Everglades Authority. Land for the future Southport cargo terminal was bought.
- 1970s: The Port became Florida's first Foreign Trade Zone. This is a special area where goods can be handled without certain customs duties.
- 1980s: The Port bought its first rail-mounted container gantry crane. These are large cranes used to load and unload containers.
- 1990s: The Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center opened. Two parking garages were built. On November 22, 1994, the Broward County government took over running Port Everglades.
- 1994: Port Everglades became an enterprise fund run by Broward County. This means it supports itself financially.
- 2000s: Port Everglades kept breaking its own records for handling the most cruise passengers.
- 2001: Port Everglades opened a new Operations Center and Harbormaster Tower. It also celebrated its 70th cruise season, hosting many five-star ships.
- 2003: On February 28, port users celebrated the 75th Anniversary of Port Everglades.
- 2004: Port Everglades welcomed the Queen Mary 2. This was the world's largest ocean liner at the time. She made her first visit to the U.S. mainland at Port Everglades, her winter home port.
- 2009: Port Everglades opened the world's largest cruise terminal. It became the home of Royal Caribbean's 5,400-passenger Oasis of the Seas, then the largest cruise ship in the world.
- 2010: The Oasis of the Seas was joined by the Allure of the Seas. This made Port Everglades home to the two largest cruise ships in the world.
- 2011: The Broward County Board approved a 20-Year Master/Vision Plan for the Port. This plan included adding five berths, making the channel deeper and wider, and bringing freight rail into the port.
- 2012: Port Everglades was the first port in Florida to join the Green Marine program. This program helps ports improve their environmental impact.
- 2015: The US Army Corps of Engineers approved Port Everglades for expansion.
- 2016: In March, Port Everglades broke the Guinness World Record for the most cruisers in a single day, with 55,885 passengers.
See also
In Spanish: Port Everglades para niños
