SS United States

SS United States at sea in the 1950s
History
United States
Name	United States
Owner	1952-1970: United States Lines 1970-1980: US Maritime Administration 1980-1992: Richard Hadley 1992-1997: Marmara Marine 1997-2003: Edward Cantor 2003-2011: Norwegian Cruise Line 2011-2024: SS United States Conservancy 2024-present: Okaloosa County, Florida
Operator	United States Lines
Port of registry	New York City
Route	1952: Transatlantic: New York – Le Havre – Southampton (also Bremerhaven) 1961: Cruises
Ordered	1949[1]
Builder	Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company[1]
Cost	$71.8 million ($676 million in 2023[2])
Yard number	Hull 488[3]
Laid down	February 8, 1950
Launched	June 23, 1951[4]
Christened	June 23, 1951[4]
Maiden voyage	July 3, 1952
In service	1952
Out of service	November 14, 1969[5]
Identification	IMO number: 5373476 Callsign KJEH
Nickname(s)	Big U
Status	Laid up in South Philadelphia, to be turned into an artificial reef
General characteristics
Type	Ocean liner
Tonnage	53,329 GRT, 29,475 NRT
Displacement	45,400 tons (designed) 47,264 tons (maximum)
Length	990 ft (302 m) (overall) 940 ft (287 m) (waterline)
Beam	101.5 ft (30.9 m) maximum
Height	175 ft (53 m) (keel to funnel)[6]
Draft	31 ft 3 in (9.53 m) (design) 32 ft 4 in (9.86 m) (maximum)
Decks	12[7]: 16
Installed power	240,000 shp (180,000 kW) (rated) 247,785 shp (184,773 kW) (trials)
Propulsion	4 × Westinghouse double-reduction geared steam turbines 8 × Babcock & Wilcox Type-M boilers at 925 psi and 975 °F (524 °C) 4 × shafts, 2-four blade props, 2-five blade
Speed	30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph) (service) 38.32 kn (70.97 km/h; 44.10 mph) (trials) 43 kn (80 km/h; 49 mph) (claimed)
Capacity	1,928 passengers
Crew	1,044 [7]: 16
SS United States (Steamship)
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Show map of Philadelphia Show map of Pennsylvania Show map of the United States
Location	Pier 82, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Coordinates	39°55′06″N 75°08′11″W / 39.91833°N 75.13639°W / 39.91833; -75.13639
Architect	William Francis Gibbs
NRHP reference No.	99000609[8]
Added to NRHP	June 3, 1999

SS United States is a retired American ocean liner that was built during 1950 and 1951 for United States Lines. She is the largest ocean liner to be entirely constructed in the United States and the fastest ocean liner to cross the Atlantic Ocean in either direction, retaining the Blue Riband for the highest average speed since her maiden voyage in 1952, a title she still holds.

The ship was designed by American naval architect William Francis Gibbs and could have been converted into a troopship if required by the United States Navy in time of war. The ship served as an icon for the nation, transporting celebrities and immigrants throughout her career between 1952 and 1969. Her design included innovations in steam propulsion, hull form, fire safety, and damage control. Despite her record speed, passenger counts declined in the mid-1960s due to the rise in jet-propelled trans-Atlantic flights.

Following the financial collapse of United States Lines, United States was withdrawn from service in a surprise announcement in 1969. All planned cruises were canceled, and the ship changed owners repeatedly for the next several decades. Every owner attempted to make the ship profitable, but she was aging and poorly maintained. In 1984, her interior furnishings were sold at auction, and the rest of her interiors were stripped to the bulkheads in 1994. In 1996, she was towed to Philadelphia, where she has remained.

Since 2009, the 'SS United States Conservancy' has been raising funds in an attempt to save the ship from being scrapped. The group purchased her in 2011 and has created several unrealized plans to restore the ship. Due to a rent dispute, in 2024, the ship was evicted from her pier. Because no other locations for the ship could be found, Okaloosa County, Florida, bought her and plans to sink her by 2026 near Destin to become the world's largest artificial reef.