Abstract: Lateral loads must be considered in the pile design of high-piled wharfs. Based on the analysis of the characteristics of an all vertical-piled wharf and existing methods for calculating the distribution of lateral force on high-piled wharfs, a formula for calculating the distribution of lateral force on an all vertical-piled wharf is derived by assuming that the superstructure of the wharf is a rigid body. In this case, the rotation center of the wharf deck under the lateral force is also the center of rigidity, and the longitudinal displacement of the piles caused by rotation can not be neglected. The derived formula, the finite element method (FEM) and the look-up table method in China’s Code of Port Engineering are all applied to the same real engineering case. The comparisons of the results show that the derived formula agrees well with the FEM, while the maximum difference between the derived formula and the look-up table method is about 8%.