USS Essex may refer to the following ships in American naval service:

• USS Essex (1799) 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 (1856) was an ironclad steamer during the American Civil War, sold in 1865
• USS Essex (1874) was a wooden screw steamer launched in 1876 and sold in 1930
• USS Essex (CV-9) was an Essex-class aircraft carrier commissioned in 1942, which served through World War II, the Korean War, and Apollo 7 before being decommissioned in 1969
• USS Essex (LHD-2) is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship commissioned in 1992 and currently in active service

• Essex (1799 whaleship), a whaler that a sperm whale sank