What the record shows
Located about 1.5 miles from the Port Chicago piers, at which an explosion on July 17, 1944, destroyed two ships, severely damaged another ship located 1500 feet away, killed 320 people, destroyed the pier, a locomotive and boxcars. Controversy still surrounds the incident. The United States Navy purchased the town after the explosion. (US-T121)
Port Chicagoappears in the U.S. Geological Survey's place-name archive as a historical populated place — a settlement that once carried a name and no longer does. Our editors are verifying its full story against census records, newspaper archives, and county histories; this record will grow as sources are confirmed.
Before you visit
Unverified sites may sit on private land, and coordinates from historical records can be imprecise. Verify land status and access before traveling. Take photographs, leave nails — removing artifacts from federal land is a crime.
See it in context on the national atlas map.
From the field
The most valuable part of this record is the part only visitors can write.
Stamp your passport
Check in at Port Chicago — GPS-verified visits earn an inked stamp.
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Road conditions, what's still standing, what's gone — your report joins the record.
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Credited, dated, and preserved as part of Port Chicago's permanent record.
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