Wharf Vs. Dock Vs. Pier: What's The Difference?

Dock, wharf, or pier? When you ask the question of what to call a structure that juts out over the water, you're sure to get different answers depending on who you ask. By definition, all three words are defined similarly. And while some Southerners use the terms interchangeably, geography often shapes how people refer to them. You'll rarely find a person from Mobile, Alabama, calling anything a "dock," and "wharf" is practically absent from a Virginian's vocabulary. But there's one thing we can all typically agree on: How we refer to the structure is often dependent on its location and primary use. Our editors, who hail from across the South, had some strong opinions on calling them wharf vs. dock vs. pier. Read on for what these structures actually are and what different parts of the South may call them.

"“If you’re lucky, you have a dock on a creek at Pawleys Island, South Carolina, and a wharf on the bay in Point Clear, Alabama.” – Sid Evans, Southern Living Editor in Chief "

What Are A Wharf, Dock, And Pier?

So what are these structures actually? Merriam-Webster says a wharf is "a structure built along or at an angle from the shore of navigable waters so that ships may lie alongside to receive and discharge cargo and passengers." A pier is a structure that extends into navigable water to provide a landing place or form a harbor. And a dock is a pier used to moor boats.

Many folks use the word dock to describe a place to tie up a boat, while using pier to describe a transitional structure between water and land. They consider wharves to land somewhere in between the two, serving a variety of uses. While piers and wharves are almost always built using raised pilings to allow water to freely flow underneath, docks often float because they are commonly constructed on bodies of water that can fluctuate dramatically in depth.

What Our Editors Say About Piers

Used most interchangeably with wharf, piers are often longer and communal. “For me, a pier comes with a connotation of being a public space, where anyone can fish or swing or catch a breeze,” says Betsy Cribb, home and features editor and a Charleston, South Carolina, native. For Katie Rousso, senior special projects editor who is from Memphis, it depends on what you’re looking at. “If it’s the lake, we call it a dock. At the beach, we call public fishing, shopping, and hangout areas a pier,” she says. Virginia-raised editorial fellow Mary Alice Russell says for her, it’s always a pier.

What Our Editors Say About Docks

The consensus among our editors was that if it’s on a lake (or the Intracoastal Waterway)—it’s a dock. For Brennan Long who grew up going to the lake in North Carolina, this rings true. Alabama native Kimberly Holland, senior digital food editor, agrees, with the added justification that it has to do with the structure's primary use: “They’re all different in my mind, but if I have to find the word for myself to explain it, it’s a dock. You dock your boat, so…it’s a dock."

What Our Editors Say About Wharves

Now, if you ask just about any Alabamian who's from near the Mobile Bay, they’ll likely agree with associate editor Mary Shannon Wells. “Everyone from Mobile and Fairhope calls it a wharf. I think part of the reason behind this choice is because these wharves are not just wooden structures where you tie up a boat," she says. "They’re full outdoor living areas made for entertaining. There’s no party like a wharf party.”

At the end of the day, whether you’re going down to the wharf, dock, or pier to watch the sunset or jump on a boat, we'll know what you’re talking about, but based on your jargon, we’ll also know where you’re from.

Frequently asked Questions

Why is a wharf called a wharf?

The word comes from Old English word hwearf, which evolved to mean "yard," an outdoor workspace like a shipyard.

Is a boardwalk the same as a pier?

A boardwalk is a walkway that runs parallel to a beach or shoreline. A pier extends from the beach out over the water.

What is the most famous pier?

The Santa Monica Pier is one of the most well-known piers. It extends over the Pacific Ocean and offers beautiful views as well as an amusement park.

Read the original article on Southern Living