PortMiami makes history with largest container ship to ever call a Florida port

MIAMI – Miami has played host to its share of big celebrities, but never one as big as the one that visited Wednesday.

The Maersk Shanghai arrived at Port Miami in the early morning hours, becoming the largest container ship to ever call a Florida deep-water port.

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The mammoth ship is about three football fields long at 1,063 feet and measures 159 feet wide.

“We welcome the Maersk Shanghai to PortMiami,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez.  “Its arrival is a milestone for PortMiami as it also makes history by being the largest cargo container ship ever to visit a Florida port.  Bigger ships represent the movement of more goods in and out of the port, which translates to growth and prosperity for our economy.”

PortMIami is the only port on the U.S. East Coast south of Virginia with a channel depth that can handle a ship as large as the Maersk Shanghai.

Unfortunately, the ship won't be able to take in the sites as The Herald reports it is scheduled to depart PortMiami at 11 p.m.