Is The SS United States Bigger Than The Titanic?

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Although it may not have been one of the biggest ships this world has ever seen, the RMS Titanic was the largest object ever to move on the water when it was first launched in 1911. However, it’s been a long time since the famously sunken ship was the largest on the water. It was overshadowed by the 990-foot SS United States that set sail in July 1952, which was as tall as a skyscraper in New York City if stood on its end. The Titanic? 882.75-feet long. The SS United States’ designers learned from the Titanic’s shortcomings and gave it a larger rudder, improving its maneuverability. Length isn’t everything that determines size on an ocean liner, though. In just about every metric, the SS United States comes out larger than the Titanic.

The designers of the SS United States ensured that it was just wide enough to fit through the Panama Canal’s locks. Its beam is 101-feet, giving it just 2 feet of clearance on each side. The Titanic could have fit, as well, since it was only 92-feet wide. The Titanic was able to squeeze more passengers onboard (3,547 versus 3,016), but if needed, the SS United States could have been converted into a troop transport with enough space to carry up to 15,000 soldiers. One of the more important metrics would be the ship’s displacement, determining its weight. The SS United States had a displacement 53,330 tons compared to the “unsinkable” ship’s 46,328 tons. The heavyweight champ here is the SS United States.

Where’s the S.S. United States today?

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Everyone knows the Titanic’s tragic fate and where to find it. All you need is one of the 10 subs that are certified to visit its site. The SS United States is a different story. It never sank during its tenure and has been more than visible to residents of south Philadelphia where it had been at rest for nearly 30 years. Looking at it — it’s clear the ship has seen better days. There’s rust and grime covering its hull and its paint is fading; it’s a shadow of the SS United States known for its top speed. However, it’s no longer tucked away at Pier 82. As of February 2025, it left the pier and began its final journey down the eastern coast of its namesake country. It’s destination? Florida.

The SS United States Conservancy decided to give the ship the same fate that the Navy gave to the aircraft carrier CV/CVA-34 USS Oriskany: Make it an artificial reef. As of this writing, the S.S. United States is in Mobile, Alabama where it will be prepped to be the world’s largest artificial reef. Alex Fogg, the natural resources chief for Destin Beach, Florida, told ABC“There will be teams of upwards of 30 people on board pulling out all of those hazardous materials, the leftover fuel oil that’s still on board, wiring plastics, glass — all of those things that we can’t deploy will be removed.” It might not have sunk during its maiden voyage, but it is meeting a similar fate to the Titanic in the end.