Marina Del Rey is a costal unincorporated area of Los Angeles County. Marina Del Rey offers 19 marinas containing 5,300 ships and is one of the largest man-made small boat harbors in the United States. The marina is a specially designed harbor featuring moorings for small boats and pleasure crafts. Originally conceived by M.C. Wicks in 1887 as a major commercial harbor. He raised $300,000 for construction over a 3-year period. Wicks went bankrupt and the area was then taken over by duck hunters. But in 1916 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reported that the new proposal to develop Playa del Rey Inlet and basin was impractical. But in 1937 there was competition and the decision went to San Pedro and went on to form the Los Angeles Harbor. However this lead Marina del Ray to make a focused towards a harbor for small crafts.

In 1954 President Eisenhower signed Public Law 780, thus making Marina Del Rey an authorized federal project. This was a 50-50 sharing of the cost between the federal government and the County of Los Angeles. Formal dedication of the harbor was held on April 10, 1965. This included a total cost of 36.25 million dollars for land, initial operation, bond service, and construction.