Given a huge economic boost in 1873 when the Northern Pacific Railroad chose it as the western terminus of its transcontinental line, Tacoma emerged as a bustling port city by the late 1800s. In 1918, Pierce County residents voted to create the publicly owned Port of Tacoma, which started out on 240 acres in Tacoma's Tideflats. Throughout its history, the port has made strategic investments to develop shipping terminals, waterways, and industrial lands to serve as an "economic engine" for the region. Today, the Port of Tacoma encompasses 2,450 acres and is one of the leading container ports in North America. In 2018, port-related activities connected to more than 42,000 jobs in Pierce County.