Port of Oakland, California

Oakland is said to be the fifth most active port in the United States, and the second largest container port (after Los Angeles/Long Beach) on the West Coast, due in large part to Oakland being the western terminus for major transcontinental railways. In 2009, a major expansion of the port was completed at a cost of $432 million, using land freed up from the closure of Navy and Army supply bases in the port area. The dock terminal areas were dredged to a depth of 50 feet to accommodate a new generation of larger container ships, more container cranes were added, rail lines were re-routed, and new expanses of pavement were laid for more container storage. The Sea-Land Company was the first shipping company to adopt the container cargo system that transformed the international shipping industry, and Oakland was the first West Coast port to transfer to this method, in 1962.