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LA Port Congestion API: USLAX Activity as JSON

September 30, 2026 · 6 min read · By FreightPulse Engineering

An LA port congestion API returns Los Angeles–Long Beach activity versus a 90-day baseline — not vessel wait time. On FreightPulse that is GET /api/v1/port-congestion?port=USLAX with header X-API-Key. UN/LOCODE accepts USLAX or US LAX.

The dataset lags about 6–7 days (IMF PortWatch / UN Global Platform AIS). Official docs sample dated 2026-08-14 prints congestion moderate and ratio_vs_baseline 0.85. Free is 100 calls/mo, no card, 5 rpm. Basic is $49/mo (1,000 calls, 30 rpm, 7-day trial on paid plans). Docs: /docs (panel /v1/port-congestion).

Request: official USLAX

curl -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY" \
  -H "Accept: application/json" \
  "https://freightpulsehq.com/api/v1/port-congestion?port=USLAX"

Response: official docs sample (2026-08-14)

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "results": [
      {
        "port": "Los Angeles-Long Beach",
        "locode": "US LAX",
        "country": "United States",
        "congestion": "moderate",
        "as_of": "2026-08-14",
        "metrics": {
          "recent_avg_portcalls_per_day": 8.7,
          "baseline_avg_portcalls_per_day": 10.2,
          "ratio_vs_baseline": 0.85
        }
      }
    ],
    "meta": {
      "source": "IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org) - UN Global Platform AIS data",
      "data_lag_days": "~6-7 (daily updates, not real-time)",
      "methodology": "congestion level is an approximation: last 7 days' avg port calls vs 90-day baseline for the same port. Does not measure vessel wait/anchorage time."
    }
  }
}

Read metrics.ratio_vs_baseline for charts. Do not invent anchorage hours. Diesel is a sibling path: GET /api/v1/fuel-prices.

Go live with /port-congestion