The Port of Los Angeles is America’s Port®, the nation’s premier gateway for international commerce and the busiest seaport in the Western Hemisphere. Located in San Pedro Bay, 25 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, the Port encompasses 7,500 acres of land and water along 43 miles of waterfront.

 

Handling diverse commodities from avocado to zinc, the Port of Los Angeles features both passenger and cargo terminals, including cruise, container, automobile, breakbulk, dry and liquid bulk, and warehouse facilities that manage billions of dollars’ worth of cargo each year. Currently in the midst of a multi-year, $2.6 billion infrastructure investment program aimed at raising the bar for cargo efficiency, the Port is also focused on new technologies to enhance digital information flow throughout the supply chain.

 

This thriving seaport is also known for groundbreaking environmental initiatives and remains committed to managing resources and conducting developments and operations in both an environmentally and fiscally responsible manner. The Port has also built a strong reputation for its progressive security measures and community engagement. For the last decade, the Port has also been at the forefront of revitalization of the LA Waterfront, improving public access to the water, developing public-friendly amenities and infrastructure, and transforming the harbor shoreline into a world-class visitor destination.

The Port of Los Angeles is one of the world’s busiest seaports and leading gateway for international trade in North America and has ranked as the No. 1 container port in the United States each year since 2000. In 2023, the Port moved 8.6 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), sustaining its top rank among U.S. ports. 2021 was the Port's busiest calendar year on record, with a total of 10.7 million TEUs handled.

The Port of Los Angeles is a department of the City of Los Angeles (also known as the Los Angeles Harbor Department) and is governed by the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners, a panel appointed by the Mayor of Los Angeles. Although the Port is a City department, it is not supported by City taxes. Operating as a landlord port with more than 200 leaseholders, the Port instead generates its revenues from leasing and shipping service fees. The Port’s jurisdiction is limited to the Harbor District, which includes property in San Pedro, Wilmington, and Terminal Island. All Port operations are managed by the Board of Harbor Commissioners in accordance with the Public Trust Doctrine to promote maritime, commerce, navigation, fisheries, and public access to the waterfront.

The Port of Los Angeles is a major economic driver at the local, regional, and national levels, and a key generator of jobs, commerce and tourism in Southern California. In California alone, nearly 1 million jobs are related to trade through the Port of Los Angeles. One in nine jobs across the Southern California counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura can be connected to the San Pedro Bay Port Complex––which includes the Port of Los Angeles and its neighboring Port of Long Beach (a separate entity and department of the City of Long Beach). The San Pedro Bay Port Complex wields tremendous economic impact, generating employment for nearly 3 million Americans nationwide.