UN/LOCODE: USPYM📍 United States
Port of Plymouth (UN/LOCODE USPYM)
❖ Coordinates: 41.9584°N, -70.6673°E
❖ Time Zone: America/New_York
❖ UN/LOCODE: USPYM
## About the Port
The Port of Plymouth, designated by the United Nations LOCODE **USPYM**, is a strategically positioned maritime gateway located on the western shore of Cape Cod Bay in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States.
### Geographic and Administrative Profile
Geographically anchored at coordinates 41.9584457 latitude and -70.6672621 longitude, the port operates within the America/New_York timezone (UTC-5 standard, UTC-4 daylight saving). Unlike the deep-water container terminals of the Port of Boston or the expansive logistics hubs along the New York/New Jersey harbor, Plymouth functions as a critical regional harbor of refuge, a vigorous commercial fishing base, and a pivotal node for passenger ferry operations and recreational marine industries across the Northeastern Seaboard. Administered under the regulatory oversight of the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, Plymouth Harbor serves a diverse stakeholder base ranging from artisanal fishermen to intermodal passenger transit operators. The port’s sheltered anchorage and robust breakwater system mitigate the harsh nor’easters prevalent in the North Atlantic, ensuring year-round navigability for vessels up to approximately 200 feet in length. For authoritative nautical charting and hydrographic surveys of the region, maritime professionals routinely consult the NOAA Office of Coast Survey↗ resources to maintain situational awareness in approaches to USPYM.
## History
The maritime legacy of Plymouth is inextricably linked to the earliest European colonization of North America. In December 1620, the English ship *Mayflower* anchored in the sheltered waters of Plymouth Harbor, establishing the nascent Plimoth Colony.
### Colonial Foundations to Modern Harbor
Initially utilized as a shallow draft landing site for shallops and coastal traders, the harbor rapidly evolved into a hub for subsistence fishing and transatlantic provisioning during the 17th century. Throughout the 18th century, Plymouth’s shipwrights constructed privateers and merchant sloops that participated in coastal trade spanning from Newfoundland to the Caribbean. During the American Revolutionary War, the port’s geography provided a tactical advantage for smuggling contraband and evading British blockades. The 19th century marked the zenith of Plymouth’s salt cod fishery, with expansive fleets deploying to the Grand Banks and Georges Bank. However, the decline of distant-water fisheries in the early 20th century catalyzed a transition toward inshore lobstering, coastal passenger transport, and recreational boating. Federal intervention by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the mid-20th century stabilized the harbor with substantial breakwater construction, cementing its modern configuration.
## Infrastructure & Facilities
Plymouth Harbor’s maritime infrastructure is engineered to support a hybrid portfolio of commercial, municipal, and recreational operations. The federal navigation project encompasses a main channel approximately 18 feet deep (MLLW) extending from Cape Cod Bay through the harbor entrance, with a wide turning basin adjacent to the Plymouth State Pier.
### Breakwater and Navigational Channels
The iconic Plymouth Breakwater, a rubble-mound structure spanning over a mile, defends the southern perimeter of the anchorage against severe southeasterly swells. Navigational safety is upheld by a network of fixed aids to navigation, including the Plymouth Gut Light and the Brae Cock Shoal buoy, ensuring precise transit for masters navigating the constricted harbor mouth. Modern port security aligns with MTSA (Maritime Transportation Security Act) Tier 3 protocols, featuring restricted access zones and CCTV monitoring at primary terminal gates.
### Shore-Side Terminals
Key shore-side facilities include the Plymouth State Pier, operated as a multi-use terminal accommodating passenger ferries, research vessels, and occasional coastal cargo barges. Adjacent privately owned wharves provide haul-out capabilities via mobile boat hoists rated up to 100 tons, alongside fixed travel lifts for vessel maintenance. Fueling stations dispense ultra-low sulfur marine diesel and ethanol-free gasoline to the commercial fleet, sustaining continuous operational readiness.
## Economic Importance
The Port of Plymouth represents a foundational economic asset for the South Shore regional economy, generating an estimated annual multiplier effect exceeding $50 million through direct and indirect maritime activities.
### Commercial Fisheries and Tourism
Commercial fishing remains the bedrock of port economics; the landing of lobster, Atlantic cod, haddock, and fluke at Plymouth’s cold-storage and auction facilities supports a robust downstream processing sector. Furthermore, the port is a linchpin for Massachusetts’ blue economy, facilitating whale-watch excursions and scheduled ferry services that transport over 250,000 passengers annually to Provincetown and the Boston Harbor Islands. Beyond tourism, Plymouth provides essential resilience to the state’s logistical network. As a designated harbor of refuge, it offers emergency berthing during extreme weather, alleviating congestion in Boston’s commercial channels. The presence of full-service shipyards and marine electronics chandlers sustains skilled trades, from welders to naval architects, within the local labor market. Municipal dredging programs, coordinated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – New England District↗, ensure that sediment accretion does not compromise the draft-dependent operations of the fishing fleet, thereby preserving the port’s fiscal viability.
## Trade Routes & Major Cargo
While Plymouth (USPYM) does not handle panamax containerized shipping, its trade routes are regionally significant and environmentally specialized.
### Passenger and Fisheries Logistics
The dominant cargo profile consists of wild-caught seafood, predominantly destined for the Boston Seafood Distribution Center and interstate highway routes via refrigerated trucking. Inbound maritime commerce includes sporadic deliveries of imported scallops for reprocessing and construction aggregates—such as crushed stone and sand—transshipped from Maine and Nova Scotia via bulk coastal freighters for local infrastructure projects. Passenger movement constitutes the port’s highest-volume "cargo" by tonnage equivalence. The Plymouth to Provincetown ferry route traverses 30 nautical miles across Cape Cod Bay, operating a fleet of high-speed catamarans and traditional monohull vessels. Fishing fleets based at USPYM routinely transit to the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and Georges Bank, adhering to strict quota management under the New England Fishery Management Council. The synthesis of living marine resource extraction, coastal bulk transfer, and high-frequency passenger transit defines Plymouth’s unique logistics matrix, positioning it as an indispensable, if unconventional, artery in the United States’ North Atlantic maritime corridor.
Port Intelligence
UN/LOCODE
USPYM
Country
United States
Province / Region
Massachusetts
Latitude
41.958446
Longitude
-70.667262
Timezone
America/New_York
Nautical Map (OpenSeaMap)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the UN/LOCODE for Port of Plymouth?
The official UN/LOCODE for Port of Plymouth is USPYM.
Where is Port of Plymouth located?
The Port of Plymouth is located in United States, Massachusetts. Its coordinates are 41.9584°N, -70.6673°E.
What time zone is Port of Plymouth in?
Port of Plymouth operates in the America/New_York time zone.
🌊 Live Marine Conditions
Wave Height0.22 m
Wave Direction293°
Swell Height0.14 m
Data provided by Open-Meteo Marine API
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About the World Port Index
This data is sourced programmatically. The UN/LOCODE is the official geographic coding scheme used by the United Nations for trade and transport locations.
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