The cruiser was launched 25 February 1945 by New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey, sponsored by Mrs. F. O. Olsen, and commissioned 9 December 1945.

[1] Fargo sailed from Philadelphia on 15 April 1946, with Vice Admiral Bernard H. Bieri embarked for a goodwill cruise to Bermuda, Trinidad, Recife, Rio de Janeiro and Montevideo, from which she took departure on 31 May for the Mediterranean.

During this tour of duty, she visited a variety of ports in Turkey, Lebanon, Greece, Italy, and France, as well as North Africa and served as American representative at Trieste, then troubled by dissension between Italy and Yugoslavia over the city's status.

[1] Through her remaining two years of service, Fargo completed two more tours of duty in the Mediterranean, and twice joined in large scale exercises in the Caribbean.

[citation needed] Hull CL-85 was to be named Fargo, but was converted to Langley (CVL-27), an Independence-class light aircraft carrier, during construction.