thumb|Two [[Nuclear propulsion|nuclear-powered cruisers escort the carrier in 1964 during Operation Sea Orbit: at center is the , at left the destroyer leader , which was reclassified as cruiser (CGN-25) in 1975.]]

This list of cruisers of the United States Navy includes all ships that were ever called "cruiser", either publicly or in internal documentation.

The Navy has 7 cruisers in active service, as of 27 September 2025, with the last tentatively scheduled for decommissioning in 2029. With the cancellation of the CG(X) program in 2010, the Navy currently has no cruiser replacement program planned. The Navy is looking to the Aegis-equipped destroyers to increasingly fill the role of the cruiser in the protection of the carrier strike group, as it could be well into the 2030s before any possible cruiser replacement program is up and running.) are listed only for the specific hull classification and number; for example, the World War II battle stars for a heavy cruiser (CA) and the Vietnam War battle stars for the same ship after its conversion to a guided missile cruiser (CG) are listed separately in each ship type list.

Hull reclassifications and skipped hull numbers

CA-1, CA-6 and CA-10 were never used, as ACR-1 Maine, ACR-6 California/San Diego and ACR-10 Tennessee/Memphis were lost prior to the 1920 redesignation, and their sisters' original hull numbers were carried over. CA-20 through CA-23 were skipped with the merger of the CA and CL sequences, which allowed the reclassification of the Washington Treaty CLs as CAs without re-numbering.

Heavy cruisers CA-149 and CA-151 to CA-153, light cruisers CL-154 to CL-159, and nuclear guided missile cruiser CGN-42 were canceled before being named.

Guided missile cruisers CAG-1 and CAG-2, along with CLG-3 through CLG-8 and CG-10 through 12 were converted from World War II cruisers. CAG-1 USS Boston and CAG-2 USS Canberra retained most of their original gun armament and were later returned to their gun cruiser designations CA-69 and CA-70. CGN-9, Long Beach, originally held the last designation in the heavy-light cruiser sequence, CLGN-160.

CG-15 was skipped so the Leahy-class guided missile frigates (CG-16 class) could be redesignated without renumbering. The other missing numbers in the guided-missile cruiser series, 43–46, were not used so that DDG-47 Ticonderoga and DDG-48 Yorktown could be similarly redesignated. (It has been argued in some sources that the DDG-993 guided missile destroyers, which were essentially identically armed to the s, should have been redesignated CG-43 through −46.)

Before 30 June 1975, CG-16 USS Leahy through CGN-38 USS Virginia were designated DLG or DLGN (Destroyer Leader, Guided Missile (Nuclear powered)). They were redesignated cruisers in the 1975 ship reclassification. CGN-39 USS Texas and CGN-40 USS Mississippi were laid down as DLGNs but redesignated CGN before commissioning. CG-47 Ticonderoga and CG-48 Yorktown were ordered as guided missile destroyers (DDG) but were redesignated to guided missile cruisers (CG) before any ship was laid down. CGN-41 Arkansas and CG-49 through 73 were ordered, laid down and delivered as guided missile cruisers, although as Virginia or Ticonderoga-class ships they had not been designed as cruisers.

Cruisers without hull designations

First cruisers

The first three modern cruisers in the Navy, the Atlanta, Boston, and Chicago, were most successful as technology demonstrators that stimulated the US industrial base, with features such as steel hulls and electricity generation. Their technology proved so operationally decisive they came to be seen as the dividing line between the "Old Navy" and the "New Navy". The last two protected cruisers which initially served without hull classification numbers, the New Orleans and Albany, were purchased from a British builder during mobilization for the 1898 Spanish–American War.

thumb|right|USS Atlanta, the US Navy's first cruiser

  • Atlanta (1884), protected cruiser
  • Boston (1884), protected cruiser – Spanish–American War, later Despatch (IX-2)
  • Chicago (1885), protected cruiser
  • Vesuvius (1888), experimental dynamite guns – Spanish–American War

New Orleans class

  • New Orleans (1898), ex-Brazilian Amazonas – Spanish–American War, WW1
  • Albany (1899), ex-Brazilian Almirante Abreu – Spanish–American War, WW1

Armed merchant cruisers

Beginning in 1891 Congress subsidized a number of fast ocean liners with plans to requisition them in wartime. St. Louis, St. Paul, Harvard, and Yale were the largest and were chartered by the Navy for the Spanish–American War, and seven others were purchased in 1898.

  • St. Louis (1894) – Spanish–American War
  • St. Paul (1895) – Spanish–American War
  • Harvard (1898), ex-SS City of New York – Spanish–American War, later WW1 as troopship USS Plattsburg SP-1645
  • Yale (1889), ex-SSCity of Paris – Spanish–American War, later WW1 as troopship USS Harrisburg ID-1663
  • Badger (1889), ex-Yumuri – Spanish–American War
  • Panther (1889), ex-Austin – Spanish–American War, later WW1 as destroyer tender AD-6
  • Prairie (1890), ex-El Sol – Spanish–American War, United States occupation of Veracruz, later WW1 as destroyer tender AD-5
  • Buffalo (1892), ex-El Cid, later WW1 as destroyer tender AD-8
  • Yankee (1892), ex-El Norte – Spanish–American War, sank 4 December 1908 after grounding
  • Yosemite (1892), ex-El Sud – Spanish–American War, scuttled on or after 15 November 1900 after typhoon damage
  • Dixie (1893), ex-El Rio – Spanish–American War, later WW1 as destroyer tender, later AD-1

German war prize

  • Frankfurt (1915), sunk as target 1921

Armored cruisers (ACR)

thumb|right|USS Maine (ACR-1)

thumb|right|USS San Diego (ACR-6)

thumb|right|USS Tennessee (ACR-10)

Officially these ships were e.g., "Armored Cruiser No. 1". Unofficially, top naval officers initially referred to these ships as battleships because they cost almost as much, shared many features with them, and were intended to accompany them in fleet actions; they took care to ensure that Congress never heard their opinion. The 1905 Russo-Japanese War showed armored cruisers did not perform as well as either battleships or as other cruiser types. As battleship technology advanced they were judged obsolete for their original role about the time the last U.S. armored cruiser was commissioned (this advance in part led to the development of battlecruisers as a replacement), and so they were retained for other cruiser roles despite their deficiencies. During 1912–1920 the U.S. armored cruisers had their names changed from states to cities within those states to free up the names for battleships.

  • (ACR-1) Maine (1895), later classed as a second class battleship, sunk by explosion 15 February 1898, 286 killed
  • (ACR-2) New York (1893) – Spanish–American War, later Saratoga, WW1 as Rochester, later CA-2
  • (ACR-3) Brooklyn (1896) – Spanish–American War, later CA-3
  • (ACR-4) Pennsylvania (1905), later Pittsburgh – United States occupation of Veracruz, WW1, later CA-4
  • (ACR-5) West Virginia (1905), later Huntington – WW1, later CA-5
  • (ACR-6) California (1907), later San Diego – WW1, sunk by mine 19 July 1918, 6 killed
  • (ACR-7) Colorado (1905), later Pueblo – WW1, later CA-7
  • (ACR-8) Maryland (1905), later Frederick – WW1, later CA-8
  • (ACR-9) South Dakota (1908) – WW1, later Huron CA-9
  • (ACR-10) Tennessee (1906), later Memphis, wrecked 29 August 1916, 43 killed and missing
  • (ACR-11) Washington (1906), later Seattle – WW1, later CA-11
  • (ACR-12) North Carolina (1908) – WW1, later Charlotte CA-12
  • (ACR-13) Montana (1908), later Missoula – WW1, later CA-13

Protected and Peace cruisers (C, PG)

In the pre-1920 period abbreviations were informal and not standardized; officially these ships were, e.g., "Cruiser No. 1". Only the Montgomery class were unprotected cruisers, all the rest were protected cruisers. The Navy often referred to unprotected cruisers and obsolete protected cruisers (and some large gunboats without cruiser features) as peace cruisers due to their use in major policing and diplomatic roles.

thumb|right|USS Newark (C-1)

thumb|right|USS Raleigh (C-8)

thumb|right|USS Montgomery (C-9)

  • (C-1) Newark (1891) – Spanish–American War
  • (C-2) Charleston (1889) – Spanish–American War, wrecked 2 November 1899
  • (C-3) Baltimore (1890) – Spanish–American War, WW1, later minelayer CM-1
  • (C-4) Philadelphia (1890), later IX-24
  • (C-5) San Francisco (1890) – Spanish–American War, WW1, later minelayer CM-2
  • (C-6) Olympia (1895) – Spanish–American War, WW1
  • (C-7) Cincinnati (1894) – Spanish–American War, WW1
  • (C-8) Raleigh (1894) – Spanish–American War, WW1
  • (C-9) Montgomery (1894) – Spanish–American War, WW1 as Anniston
  • (C-10) Detroit (1893) – Spanish–American War
  • (C-11) Marblehead (1894) – Spanish–American War, WW1, later PG-27
  • (C-12) Columbia (1894) – Spanish–American War, WW1, later CA-16
  • (C-13) Minneapolis (1894) – Spanish–American War, WW1, later CA-17
  • (C-14) Denver (1904) – WW1, later PG-28, CL-16
  • (C-15) Des Moines (1904) – WW1, later PG-29, CL-17
  • (C-16) Chattanooga (1904) – WW1, later PG-30, CL-18
  • (C-17) Galveston (1905) – WW1, later PG-31, CL-19
  • (C-18) Tacoma (1904) – United States occupation of Veracruz, WW1, later PG-32, CL-20
  • (C-19) Cleveland (1903), later PG-33, CL-22
  • (C-20) St. Louis (1906) – WW1, later CA-18
  • (C-21) Milwaukee (1906), wrecked 13 January 1917
  • (C-22) Charleston (1905) – WW1, later CA-19

thumb|USS Erie (PG-50)

While classified as patrol gunboats by the Navy and as sloops by the 1930 London Naval Treaty, the 2,000 ton displacement Erie-class gunboats were designed to fulfill the role of peace cruisers in Asia and the Caribbean as detailed in internal Navy documents.

  • (PG-50) Erie (1936) – WW2: 1 battle star, burned out and beached after torpedo hit 12 November 1942, 7 killed, later capsized
  • (PG-51) Charleston (1936) – WW2: 1 battle star

Cruiser minelayers (CM)

In 1919 two cruisers were reclassified as Cruiser Minelayers (CM); they had participated in the laying of the North Sea mine barrage during WW1. Other large minelayers with no cruiser features or history were later given the 'CM' hull symbol, and the 'cruiser' nomenclature was dropped.

  • (CM-1) Baltimore, ex-C-3
  • (CM-2) San Francisco, ex-C-5

Scout cruisers (SCR, SC, CS)

The use of fast armed merchant cruisers in the Spanish–American War and the fleet exercises of 1902-03 convinced the Navy that it needed fast scout cruisers. The Chester class was built in part to test high speed propulsion plants. The Omaha class would become the oldest U.S. cruisers to serve in World War II. Officially these ships were, e.g., "Scout Cruiser No. 1", and sometimes abbreviated SC or SCR; on 8 August 1921 all would be reclassed as light cruisers.

thumb|USS Chester (CS-1)

  • (CS-1) Chester (1908) – United States occupation of Veracruz, WW1; later CL-1
  • (CS-2) Birmingham (1908) – WW1, later CL-2
  • (CS-3) Salem (1908) – WW1, later CL-3
  • (CS-4) Omaha (laid down 1918) – later CL-4
  • (CS-5) Milwaukee (laid down 1918) – later CL-5
  • (CS-6) Cincinnati (laid down 1920) – later CL-6
  • (CS-7) Raleigh (ordered 1916) – later CL-7
  • (CS-8) Detroit (ordered 1916) – later CL-8
  • (CS-9) Richmond (laid down 1920) – later CL-9
  • (CS-10) Concord (ordered 1916) – later CL-10
  • (CS-11) Trenton (ordered 1916) – later CL-11
  • (CS-12) Marblehead (ordered 1916) – later CL-12
  • (CS-13) Memphis (ordered 1916) – later CL-13

Battlecruisers (CC)

thumb|1922 artist impression of the design of the Lexington class battlecruisers

The United States laid down its only six battlecruisers as part of the 1917 construction program; in accordance with the 1922 Washington Naval Treaty four were scrapped incomplete and two converted during construction into the s.

  • (CC-1) Lexington – completed as
  • (CC-2) Constellation – canceled
  • (CC-3) Saratoga – completed as
  • (CC-4) Ranger – canceled
  • (CC-5) Constitution – canceled
  • (CC-6) United States – canceled

Heavy and light cruisers (CA, CL)

Post-World War I

thumb|right|USS Brooklyn (CA-3)

thumb|right|USS Columbia (CA-16)

thumb|right|USS St. Louis (CA-18)

On 17 July 1920, all First and Second Class Cruisers (armored and protected cruisers) still in service were reclassified as Armored Cruisers (CA).

  • (CA-1) skipped
  • (CA-2) Rochester (ex-ACR-2)
  • (CA-3) Brooklyn (ex-ACR-3)

Pennsylvania class

  • (CA-4) Pittsburgh (ex-ACR-4)
  • (CA-5) Huntington (ex-ACR-5)
  • (CA-6) skipped
  • (CA-7) Pueblo (ex-ACR-7)
  • (CA-8) Frederick (ex-ACR-8)
  • (CA-9) Huron (ex-ACR-9)

Tennessee class

  • (CA-10) skipped
  • (CA-11) Seattle (ex-ACR-11; later IX-39)
  • (CA-12) Charlotte (ex-ACR-12)
  • (CA-13) Missoula (ex-ACR-13)

other classes

  • (CA-14) Chicago (from 1885 unclassified)
  • (CA-15) Olympia (ex-C-6)

Columbia class

  • (CA-16) Columbia (ex-C-12)
  • (CA-17) Minneapolis (ex-C-13)

St. Louis class (1905)

  • (CA-18) St. Louis (ex-C-20)
  • (CA-19) Charleston (ex-C-22)

In the 1920 hull designation system, of the Third Class Cruisers the fast Scout Cruisers became Light Cruisers (CL), and the slower New Orleans and Denver-class "peace cruisers" were reclassified as Patrol Gunboats (PG).

On 8 August 1921 the system was revised; the surviving protected cruisers (except for the "semi-armored" St Louis class) and the peace cruiser/patrol gunboats were all grouped with the scout cruisers as Light Cruisers (CL).

Chester class

  • (CL-1) Chester (ex-CS-1)
  • (CL-2) Birmingham (ex-CS-2)
  • (CL-3) Salem (ex-CS-3)

thumb|right|USS Concord (CL-10)

thumb|right|USS Denver (CL-16)

thumb|right|USS New Orleans (CL-22)

  • (CL-4) Omaha (ex-CS-4, 1923) – WW2: 1 battle star
  • (CL-5) Milwaukee (ex-CS-5, 1923) – WW2: 1 battle star
  • (CL-6) Cincinnati (ex-CS-6, 1924) – WW2: 1 battle star
  • (CL-7) Raleigh (ex-CS-7, 1924) – WW2: 3 battle stars
  • (CL-8) Detroit (ex-CS-8, 1923) – WW2: 6 battle stars
  • (CL-9) Richmond (ex-CS-9, 1923) – WW2: 2 battle stars
  • (CL-10) Concord (ex-CS-10, 1923) – WW2: 1 battle star
  • (CL-11) Trenton (ex-CS-11, 1924) – WW2: 1 battle star
  • (CL-12) Marblehead (ex-CS-12, 1924) – WW2: 2 battle stars
  • (CL-13) Memphis (ex-CS-13, 1925)

other classes

  • (CL-14) Chicago (ex-CA-14; later IX-5 Alton)
  • (CL-15) Olympia (ex-C-6, ex-CA-15, later IX-40, then museum ship)
  • (CL-16) Denver (ex-C-14, ex-PG-28)
  • (CL-17) Des Moines (ex-C-15, ex-PG-29)
  • (CL-18) Chattanooga (ex-C-16, ex-PG-30)
  • (CL-19) Galveston (ex-C-17, ex-PG-31)
  • (CL-20) Tacoma (ex-C-18, ex-PG-32), wrecked 1924
  • (CL-21) Cleveland (ex-C-19, ex-PG-33)

(1896)

  • (CL-22) New Orleans (ex-Amazonas, ex-PG-34)
  • (CL-23) Albany (ex-Almirante Abreu, ex-PG-36)

The CA/CL overlap of hull numbers would persist until the last armored cruiser of the original CA series, Seattle, was reclassed as IX-39 on 17 February 1941.

Washington Naval Treaty

thumb|right|USS Pensacola (CL/CA-24)

thumb|right|USS Northampton (CL/CA-26)

thumb|right|USS Astoria (CL/CA-34)

thumb|right|USS Indianapolis (CL/CA-35)

The first cruisers of the Pensacola, Northampton, New Orleans, and Portland classes – which were designed after the 1922 Washington Naval Treaty, so quickly that the last design was complete before sea trial of the first were finished – were originally designated Light Cruisers (CL) due to their light protection. Later, in accordance with the 1930 London Naval Treaty, they were reclassified as "Heavy Cruisers" (CA) in 1931 due to their guns. Thenceforward new heavy and light cruisers were numbered in a single sequence. These four classes were known as "Treaty cruisers" and "Tinclads" and were seen even before World War II as deficient by the Navy due to the treaty limitations, but despite their high losses in the early days of the war they performed well.

  • (CL/CA-24) Pensacola (1930) – WW2: 13 battle stars
  • (CL/CA-25) Salt Lake City (1929) – WW2: 11 battle stars

:Both ships of the Pensacola class would be Operation Crossroads nuclear test targets in 1946.

  • (CL/CA-26) Northampton (1930) – WW2: 6 battle stars, sunk by torpedoes 1 December 1942, 50 killed
  • (CL/CA-27) Chester (1930) – WW2: 11 battle stars
  • (CL/CA-28) Louisville (1931) – WW2: 13 battle stars
  • (CL/CA-29) Chicago (1931) – WW2: 3 battle stars, sunk by air attack 30 January 1943, 62 killed
  • (CL/CA-30) Houston (1930) – WW2: 2 battle stars, sunk by torpedoes 1 March 1942, 693 killed and 77 POWs died
  • (CL/CA-31) Augusta (1931) – WW2: 3 battle stars
  • (CL/CA-32) New Orleans (1934) – WW2: 17 battle stars
  • (CL/CA-33) Portland (1933) – WW2: 16 battle stars

New Orleans class

  • (CL/CA-34) Astoria (1934) – WW2: 3 battle stars, sunk by gunfire 9 August 1942, 219 killed

Portland class

  • (CL/CA-35) Indianapolis (1932) – WW2: 10 battle stars, sunk by torpedoes 30 July 1945, 879 killed

New Orleans class

  • (CL/CA-36) Minneapolis (1934) – WW2: 17 battle stars
  • (CA-37) Tuscaloosa (1934) – WW2: 7 battle stars
  • (CA-38) San Francisco (1934) – WW2: 17 battle stars
  • (CA-39) Quincy (1936) – WW2: 1 battle star, sunk by gunfire and torpedoes 9 August 1942, 370 killed

London Naval Treaty

The terms of the 1930 London Naval Treaty motivated the signatories to de-emphasize heavy cruiser construction in favor of light cruisers. The resultant nine ship Brooklyn-class of light cruisers had a strong influence on US cruiser design. Nearly all subsequent US cruisers, heavy and light, were directly or indirectly based on them, including the unique heavy cruiser Wichita.

thumb|USS Brooklyn (CL-40)

thumb|USS Wichita (CA-45)

  • (CL-40) Brooklyn (1937) – WW2: 4 battle stars, later Chilean O'Higgins
  • (CL-41) Philadelphia (1937) – WW2: 5 battle stars, later Brazilian Barroso
  • (CL-42) Savannah (1938) – WW2: 3 battle stars
  • (CL-43) Nashville (1938) – WW2: 10 battle stars, later Chilean Capitan Prat

New Orleans class

  • (CA-44) Vincennes (1937) – WW2: 2 battle stars, sunk by gunfire and torpedoes 9 August 1942, 332 killed

Wichita class

  • (CA-45) Wichita (1939) – WW2: 13 battle stars

Brooklyn class

  • (CL-46) Phoenix (1938) – WW2: 11 battle stars, later ARA General Belgrano
  • (CL-47) Boise (1938) – WW2: 11 battle stars, later ARA Nueve de Julio
  • (CL-48) Honolulu (1938) – WW2: 8 battle stars

Brooklyn class (St. Louis subclass)

  • (CL-49) St. Louis (1939) – WW2: 11 battle stars, later Brazilian Almirante Tamandaré
  • (CL-50) Helena (1939) – WW2: 7 battle stars, war loss 6 July 1943, 168 killed

Second London Naval Treaty

thumb|USS Atlanta (CL-51)

The 1936 Second London Naval Treaty would also influence the Navy's light cruiser program. It imposed limits that resulted in the smaller displacement Atlanta class with a dual purpose rapid fire main gun battery, the first such ship in the Navy.

  • (CL-51) Atlanta (1941) – WW2: 5 battle stars, scuttled after torpedo damage 13 November 1942
  • (CL-52) Juneau (1942) – WW2: 4 battle stars, sunk by torpedoes 13 November 1942, 687 killed
  • (CL-53) San Diego (1942) – WW2: 18 battle stars
  • (CL-54) San Juan (1942) – WW2: 13 battle stars

Cruiser-Destroyer (CLD)

Parallel to the Atlanta design was an abortive attempt to design a super-Atlanta known as the Cruiser-Destroyer, or CLD. The "ship characteristics" resulting from this study would be almost identical to that of the later CL-154 design. CLD did not become an official hull classification symbol.

Early World War II

When the United States entered World War II it had three major classes of cruisers under construction: the Atlanta and Cleveland light cruiser classes (with 5-inch and 6-inch main batteries, respectively), and the Baltimore-class of heavy cruisers. The Cleveland-class was an improvement of the Brooklyn design, while the Baltimore-class was an improved Wichita. These ships would form the bulk of the cruiser war construction effort, with eight Atlanta-class, twenty-seven Cleveland-class, and fourteen Baltimore-class cruisers ultimately completed. Early in the war nine Cleveland hulls would be diverted for conversion into light aircraft carriers (CVLs). By the end of the war three Cleveland hulls would be canceled, and one incomplete hull would later be converted to a guided missile cruiser.

thumb|USS Cleveland (CL-55)

thumb|USS Baltimore (CA-68)

thumb|USS Oakland (CL-95)

  • (CL-55) Cleveland (1942) – WW2: 13 battle stars
  • (CL-56) Columbia (1942) – WW2: 10 battle stars
  • (CL-57) Montpelier (1942) – WW2: 13 battle stars
  • (CL-58) Denver (1942) – WW2: 11 battle stars
  • (CL-59) Amsterdam (completed as )

Antiaircraft cruisers (CLAA)

thumb|USS Juneau (CLAA-119) On 18 March 1949, the surviving light cruisers of the Atlanta and Juneau classes were redesignated as antiaircraft cruisers (CLAA) without changing their hull numbers; San Diego, San Juan, and Flint were redesignated even though they had been decommissioned and were in reserve. The CL-154 class would also have received this designation had they not been canceled.

Atlanta class

  • (CLAA-53) San Diego
  • (CLAA-54) San Juan

Atlanta class (Oakland subclass)

  • (CLAA-95) Oakland
  • (CLAA-96) Reno
  • (CLAA-97) Flint
  • (CLAA-98) Tucson

Juneau class

  • (CLAA-119) Juneau – Korea: 5 battle stars
  • (CLAA-120) Spokane, later AG-191
  • (CLAA-121) Fresno

Command cruisers (CLC, CC)

thumb|right|USS Northampton (CLC/CC-1)

By the end of World War II the Navy had gained favorable experience with dedicated amphibious command ships, and desired similar but faster ships to accompany aircraft carriers for fleet command, which would also relieve overcrowded fleet command facilities on other ships. Both completed conversions, Northampton and Wright, were indirectly based on the Baltimore class heavy cruiser design (the first via the Oregon City class, the second via the Saipan class). The result would be the highly capable but expensive command cruisers. These ships would be absorbed into the National Emergency Command Post Afloat mission, and then retired when that role was cancelled.

  • (CLC/CC-1) Northampton (ex-CA-125) (1953)
  • (CBC-1) Hawaii (ex-CB-3, ex-CBG-3) – conversion canceled
  • (CC-2) Wright (ex-CVL-49, ex-AVT-7) (1963)
  • (CC-3) Saipan (ex-CVL-48, ex-AVT-6), - conversion canceled, later AGMR-2 as Arlington

Guided missile cruisers (CAG, CLG, CG)

'Cruiser hulls'

thumb|USS Canberra (CAG-2)

thumb|USS Oklahoma City (CLG-5)

thumb|USS Providence (CLG-6)

thumb|USS Albany (CG-10)

thumb|right|Artist conception of Strike cruiser Mark I variant (1976 version)

With the exception of the purpose-built nuclear powered guided missile cruiser Long Beach, all of the early guided missile cruisers were converted heavy or light cruisers from the World War II era. The early conversions were heavy (CAG) and light (CLG) 'single-enders' which placed the missile facilities aft and conservatively retained their forward main gun batteries; the later conversions (CG) were 'double-enders' which eliminated the main guns. In 1975 the surviving 'single enders' would be reclassified as CG even though they retained their guns.

Alaska class

  • (CBG-3) Hawaii (ex-CB-3) – conversion canceled
  • (CAG-1) Boston (ex- and later CA-69, 1955) – Vietnam: 5 battle stars
  • (CAG-2) Canberra (ex- and later CA-70, 1956) – Vietnam: 4 battle stars
  • (CLG-3) Galveston (ex-CL-93, 1958) – Vietnam: 2 battle stars
  • (CLG/CG-4) Little Rock (ex-CL-92, 1960), museum ship
  • (CLG/CG-5) Oklahoma City (ex-CL-91, 1960) – Vietnam: 11 battle stars
  • (CLG/CG-6) Providence (ex-CL-82, 1959) – Vietnam: 6 battle stars
  • (CLG/CG-7) Springfield (ex-CL-66, 1960)
  • (CLG-8) Topeka (ex-CL-67, 1960) – Vietnam: 3 battle stars

Long Beach class

  • (CGN-9) Long Beach (ex-CLGN-160, 1961) – Vietnam: 7 battle stars
  • (CG-10) Albany (ex-CA-123, 1962)
  • (CG-11) Chicago (ex-CA-136, 1964) – Vietnam: 11 battle stars
  • (CG-12) Columbus (ex-CA-74, 1962)
  • (CG-13) Rochester (ex-CA-124) – conversion canceled
  • (CG-14) Bremerton (ex-CA-130)– conversion canceled

CSGN class

:The CSGN class, a proposed nuclear-powered Aegis strike cruiser, canceled unnamed and unnumbered; this was the sole proposal since 1961 to use 'cruiser hull' standards in a ship designated 'cruiser'.

'Destroyer hulls'

Following the conversion of the Albany class, all guided missile cruisers would be built on 'destroyer hulls'; the pre-1975 ships were originally classified as destroyers (DDG) or as destroyer leaders (DLG) and termed 'frigates' before reclassification as cruisers.

thumb|USS Leahy (CG-16)

thumb|USS Sterett (CG-31)

  • (CG-15) skipped to redesignate the Leahy-class frigates without renumbering
  • (DLG/CG-16) Leahy (1962) – Gulf War: 2 battle stars
  • (DLG/CG-17) Harry E. Yarnell (1963)
  • (DLG/CG-18) Worden (1963) – Vietnam: 9 battle stars, Gulf War: 2 stars
  • (DLG/CG-19) Dale (1963) – Vietnam: 8 battle stars, Gulf War: 1 star
  • (DLG/CG-20) Richmond K. Turner (1964) – Vietnam: 6 battle stars, Gulf War 3 stars
  • (DLG/CG-21) Gridley (1963) – Vietnam: 6 battle stars, Gulf War 1 star
  • (DLG/CG-22) England (1963) – Vietnam: 6 battle stars, Gulf War 1 star
  • (DLG/CG-23) Halsey (1963) – Vietnam: 8 battle stars, Gulf War: 1 star
  • (DLG/CG-24) Reeves (1964) – Vietnam: 9 battle stars

Bainbridge class

  • (DLGN/CGN-25) Bainbridge (1962) – Vietnam: 8 battle stars, Gulf War: 1 star
  • (DLG/CG-26) Belknap (1964) – Vietnam: 3 battle stars
  • (DLG/CG-27) Josephus Daniels (1965) – Vietnam: 3 battle stars
  • (DLG/CG-28) Wainwright (1966) – Vietnam: 4 battle stars
  • (DLG/CG-29) Jouett (1966) – Vietnam: 7 battle stars, Gulf War: 1 star
  • (DLG/CG-30) Horne (1967) – Vietnam: 6 battle stars, Gulf War: 1 star
  • (DLG/CG-31) Sterett (1967) – Vietnam: 7 battle stars
  • (DLG/CG-32) William H. Standley (1966) – Vietnam: 4 battle stars
  • (DLG/CG-33) Fox (1966) – Vietnam: 4 battle stars, Gulf War: 1 star
  • (DLG/CG-34) Biddle (1967) – Vietnam: 6 battle stars, Gulf War: 2 star

Truxtun class

  • (DLGN/CGN-35) Truxtun (1967) – Vietnam: 7 battle stars
  • (DLGN/CGN-36) California (1974) – Gulf War: 1 battle star
  • (DLGN/CGN-37) South Carolina (1975) – Gulf War: 1 battle star
  • (DLGN/CGN-38) Virginia (1976) – Gulf War: 2 battle stars
  • (DLGN/CGN-39) Texas (1977) – Gulf War: 1 battle star
  • (CGN-40) Mississippi (1978) – Gulf War: 2 battle stars
  • (CGN-41) Arkansas (1980) – Gulf War: 1 battle star

CGN-42 class

  • CGN-42, Virginia-class derivative nuclear-powered Aegis cruiser, proposed as a cheaper alternative to the CSGN, canceled unnamed

:The Ticonderoga class ships were originally planned as Aegis guided missile destroyers - they were built on destroyer hulls - but were then reclassed as cruisers.

thumb|USS Yorktown (CG-48)

thumb|USS Lake Erie (CG-70)

  • CG-43 to CG-46 skipped to allow redesignation of DDG-47 Ticonderoga without renumbering.

:Ticonderoga class with the Mark 26 missile launch system

  • (DDG/CG-47) Ticonderoga (1983) – Gulf War: 1 battle star
  • (DDG/CG-48) Yorktown (1984)
  • (CG-49) Vincennes (1985)
  • (CG-50) Valley Forge (1986) – Gulf War: 3 battle stars
  • (CG-51) Thomas S. Gates (1987) – Gulf War: 2 battle stars, GWOT

:Ticonderoga class with the Vertical Launch System (VLS)

  • (CG-52) Bunker Hill [I] (1986) – Gulf War: 2 battle stars, GWOT
  • (CG-53) Mobile Bay [I] (1987) – Gulf War: 2 battle stars, Iraq War, GWOT
  • (CG-54) Antietam [I] (1987) – Gulf War: 1 battle star, Iraq War: 1 star, GWOT
  • (CG-55) Leyte Gulf [I] (1987) – Gulf War: 2 battle stars, GWOT
  • (CG-56) San Jacinto [I] (1988) – Gulf War: 2 battle stars, GWOT
  • (CG-57) Lake Champlain [I] (1988) – Gulf War: 1 battle star, GWOT
  • (CG-58) Philippine Sea [I] (1989) – Gulf War: 2 battle stars, GWOT
  • (CG-59) Princeton [A] (1989) – Gulf War: 3 battle stars, GWOT
  • (CG-60) Normandy [I] (1989) – Gulf War: 2 battle stars, Iraq War, GWOT
  • (CG-61) Monterey [I] (1990)
  • (CG-62) Robert Smalls (ex-Chancellorsville) [A] (1989) – Gulf War: 1 battle star, GWOT
  • (CG-63) Cowpens [I] (1991) – Gulf War: 1 battle star, GWOT
  • (CG-64) Gettysburg [A] (1991)
  • (CG-65) Chosin [A] (1991) – Gulf War: 1 battle star, GWOT
  • (CG-66) Hué City [I] (1991) – Gulf War: 1 battle star, GWOT
  • (CG-67) Shiloh [A] (1992) – Gulf War: 1 battle star, GWOT
  • (CG-68) Anzio [I] (1992) – Iraq War: 2 battle stars, GWOT
  • (CG-69) Vicksburg [I] (1992) – Gulf War: 1 battle star, GWOT
  • (CG-70) Lake Erie [A] (1993) – Gulf War: 1 battle star, GWOT
  • (CG-71) Cape St. George [A] (1993) – Iraq War: 1 battle star, GWOT
  • (CG-72) Vella Gulf [I] (1993) – GWOT
  • (CG-73) Port Royal [I] (1994)

thumb|right|CG(X) would have used a hull similar to the Zumwalt-class destroyer, seen here

CG(X) class

:The CG(X) class was intended to apply the same technology used in the Zumwalt-class destroyers within a larger hull, nuclear power was a consideration, but was canceled unbuilt and unnamed.

Nuclear-powered cruisers (CGN)

To date all nuclear cruisers have been guided missile cruisers, and all have been retired.

thumb|USS Truxtun (CGN-35)

thumb|USS Virginia (CGN-38)

Long Beach class

  • (CGN-9) Long Beach

Bainbridge class

  • (CGN-25) Bainbridge

Truxtun class

  • (CGN-35) Truxtun

California class

  • (CGN-36) California
  • (CGN-37) South Carolina

Virginia class

  • (CGN-38) Virginia
  • (CGN-39) Texas
  • (CGN-40) Mississippi
  • (CGN-41) Arkansas

CGN-42 class

  • CGN-42 – cancelled

Miscellaneous lists

List by name

Names without links were not completed, or completed as aircraft carriers or destroyer leaders.

  • Albany (1899/PG-36/CL-23)
  • Albany (CA-72)
  • Albany (CA-123/CG-10)
  • Amsterdam (CL-59)
  • [I]
  • [I]
  • Astoria (CL/CA-34)
  • Atlanta (1884)
  • Atlanta (CL-104/IX-304)
  • Augusta (CL/CA-31)
  • Badger (1889)
  • Bainbridge (DLGN/CGN-25)
  • Belknap (DLG/CG-26)
  • Biddle (DLG/CG-34)
  • Birmingham (CS/CL-2)
  • Boston (1884)
  • Boston (CA-69/CAG-1)
  • Bremerton (CA-130/CG-14)
  • Bridgeport (CA-127)
  • Brooklyn (ACR/CA-3)
  • Buffalo (CL-84)
  • Buffalo (CL-99)
  • Buffalo (CL-110)
  • [A]
  • California (DLGN/CGN-36)
  • Cambridge (CA-126)
  • Canberra (CA-70/CAG-2)
  • [A]
  • Chancellorsville (CG-62) [A]
  • Charleston (C-22/CA-19)
  • Charlotte (ACR/CA-12)
  • Chattanooga (C-16/PG-30/CL-18)
  • Chattanooga (CL-118)
  • Chester (CS/CL-1)
  • Chester (CL/CA-27)
  • Cheyenne (CL-117)
  • Chicago (1885/CA-14/CL-14/IX-5)
  • Chicago (CL/CA-29)
  • Chicago (CA-136/CG-11)
  • [A]
  • Cincinnati (CS/CL-6)
  • Cleveland (C-19/PG-33/CL-21)
  • Columbia (C-12/CA-16)
  • Columbus (CA-74/CG-12)
  • Concord (CS/CL-10)
  • Constellation (CC-2)
  • Constitution (CC-5)
  • [I]
  • Dale (DLG/CG-19)
  • Dallas (CA-140)
  • Dallas (CA-150)
  • Dayton (CL-78)
  • Denver (C-14/PG-28/CL-16)
  • Des Moines (C-15/PG-29/CL-17)
  • Des Moines (CA-75)
  • Detroit (CS/CL-8)
  • Dixie (1893)
  • England (DLG/CG-22)
  • Fargo (CL-85)
  • Flint (CL-64)
  • Flint (CL/CLAA-97)
  • Fox (DLG/CG-33)
  • Frankfurt (1915)
  • Frederick (ACR/CA-8)
  • Fresno (CL/CLAA-121)
  • Galveston (C-17/PG-31/CL-19)
  • Galveston (CL-93/CLG-3)
  • Gary (CL-147)
  • [A]
  • Gridley (DLG/CG-21)
  • Halsey (DLG/CG-23)
  • Harry E. Yarnell (DLG/CG-17)
  • Harvard (1888)
  • Hawaii (CB-3/CBG-3/CBC-1)
  • Helena (CL-113)
  • Horne (DLG/CG-30)
  • Houston (CL/CA-30)
  • [I]
  • Huntington (ACR/CA-5)
  • Huntington (CL-77)
  • Huron (ACR/CA-9)
  • Indianapolis (CL/CA-35)
  • Josephus Daniels (DLG/CG-27)
  • Jouett (DLG/CG-29)
  • Juneau (CL/CLAA-119)
  • Kansas City (CA-128)
  • [A]
  • [I]
  • Leahy (DLG/CG-16)
  • Lexington (CC-1)
  • [I]
  • Little Rock (CL-92/CLG-4/CG-4), museum ship
  • Long Beach (CLGN-160/CGN-160/CGN-9)
  • Louisville (CL/CA-28)
  • Marblehead (C-11/PG-27)
  • Marblehead (CS/CL-12)
  • Memphis (CS/CL-13)
  • Milwaukee (CS/CL-5)
  • Minneapolis (C-13/CA-17)
  • Minneapolis (CL/CA-36)
  • Missoula (ACR/CA-13)
  • [I]
  • [I]
  • Newark (CL-88)
  • Newark (CL-100)
  • Newark (CL-108)
  • New Haven (CL-76)
  • New Haven (CL-109)
  • New Haven (CLK-2)
  • New Orleans (1896/PG-34/CL-22)
  • New Orleans (CL/CA-32)
  • Norfolk (CA-137)
  • Norfolk (CLK-1/DL-1)
  • [I]
  • Northampton (CL/CA-26)
  • Northampton (CA-125/CLC-1/CC-1)
  • Oakland (CL/CLAA-95)
  • Oklahoma City (CL-91/CLG-5/CG-5)
  • Olympia (C-6/CA-15/CL-15/IX-40), museum ship
  • Omaha (CS/CL-4)
  • Panther (1889)
  • Pensacola (CL/CA-24)
  • Philippines (CB-4)
  • [I]
  • Pittsburgh (ACR/CA-4)
  • Pittsburg (CA-70)
  • Portland (CL/CA-33)
  • [I]
  • Prairie (1890)
  • [A]
  • Providence (CL-82/CLG-6/CG-6)
  • Pueblo (ACR/CA-7)
  • Puerto Rico (CB-5)
  • Raleigh (CS/CL-7)
  • Ranger (CC-4)
  • Reeves (DLG/CG-24)
  • Reno (CL/CLAA-96)
  • Richmond (CS/CL-9)
  • Richmond K. Turner (DLG/CG-20)
  • Roanoke (CL-114)
  • [A]
  • Rochester (ACR/CA-2)
  • Rochester (CA-124/CG-13)
  • St. Louis (1894)
  • St. Louis (C-20/CA-18)
  • St. Paul (1895)
  • St. Paul (CA-71)
  • Salem (CS/CL-3)
  • , museum ship
  • Saipan (CVL-48/AVT-6/CC-3)
  • Salt Lake City (CL/CA-25)
  • Samoa (CB-6)
  • San Diego (CL/CLAA-53)
  • [A]
  • San Juan (CL/CLAA-54)
  • Saratoga (CC-3)
  • Scranton (CA-138)
  • Seattle (ACR-11/CA-11/IX-39)
  • [A]
  • South Carolina (DLGN/CGN-37)
  • Spokane (CL-120/CLAA-120/AG-191)
  • Springfield (CL-66/CLG-7/CG-7)
  • Sterett (DLG/CG-31)
  • Tacoma (C-18/PG-32/CL-20)
  • Tallahassee (CL-61)
  • Tallahassee (CL-116)
  • Texas (DLGN/CGN-39)
  • Ticonderoga (DDG/CG-47)
  • Topeka (CL-67/CLG-8)
  • Trenton (CS/CL-11)
  • Truxtun (DLGN/CGN-35)
  • Tucson (CL/CLAA-98)
  • Tulsa (CA-129)
  • United States (CC-6)
  • Vallejo (CL-112)
  • Vallejo (CL-146)
  • [A]
  • [I]
  • Vesuvius (1888)
  • Vicksburg (CL-81)
  • Virginia (DLGN/CGN-38)
  • Wilkes-Barre (CL-90)
  • William H. Standley (DLG/CG-32)
  • Wilmington (CL-79)
  • Wilmington (CL-111)
  • Worden (DLG/CG-18)
  • Wright (CVL-49/AVT-7/CC-2)
  • Yale (1889)
  • Yankee (1892)
  • Yorktown (DDG/CG-48)
  • Yosemite (1892)
  • Youngstown (CL-94)

List of unnamed cruisers by hull number

  • CL-115 canceled
  • CA-141 to 143 canceled
  • CA-149 canceled
  • CA-151 to 153 canceled
  • CL/CLAA-154 to 159 canceled
  • CGN-42 canceled

List of canceled cruiser conversions

  • Bremerton (CG-14) 1959
  • Hawaii (CBG-3) 1950s
  • Hawaii (CBC-1) 1950s
  • Rochester (CG-13) 1959
  • Saipan (CC-3) 1963

List of skipped cruiser hull numbers

  • CA-1, CA-6, CA-10
  • CG-15
  • CG-43 to CG-46

See also

  • List of cruisers of World War II
  • List of current ships of the United States Navy
  • List of light cruisers of the United States Navy
  • List of United States Navy ships
  • - abbreviated list
  • - abbreviated list
  • - detailed list
  • - detailed list

References

Footnotes

Citations

General and cited sources

  • USS Little Rock (CG-4) - Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park, Buffalo, NY
  • USS Olympia (CL-15) - Independence Seaport Museum, Philadelphia, PA
  • USS Salem (CA-139) - United States Naval Shipbuilding Museum, Quincy, MA