USS Essex may refer to the following ships in American naval service:
was a 32-gun sailing frigate launched in 1799 and captured in 1814 Essex Junior was a British whaler captured by Essex and put into service until recaptured in 1814 USS Essex (1813) was a planned Java-class frigate burned in the shipyard to prevent her capture during the War of 1812 was an ironclad steamer during the American Civil War, sold in 1865 was a wooden screw steamer launched in 1876 and sold in 1930 was an commissioned in 1942, which served through World War II, the Korean War, and Apollo 7 before being decommissioned in 1969 is a commissioned in 1992 and currently in active service
Other uses , a whaler that a sperm whale sank