At what Utah location were the rails of America’s first transcontinental railroad joined in 1869?

The rails of America’s first transcontinental railroad were joined at Promontory Summit, Utah, in 1869.

The Union Pacific Railroad built westward from the Missouri River region, while the Central Pacific Railroad built eastward from Sacramento, California. Their tracks met at Promontory Summit in Utah Territory on May 10, 1869. Central Pacific president Leland Stanford ceremonially drove the final “Last Spike,” often called the Golden Spike.

The completed route connected the eastern rail network with Sacramento and dramatically reduced travel time across the continent. It carried passengers and freight across the American West, accelerating settlement, commerce, and communication. The main line was about 1,911 miles long.

Promontory Summit is sometimes confused with Promontory Point, a different location farther south on the Promontory Mountains. The 1869 ceremony occurred at the summit. The route also did not initially provide an uninterrupted rail journey from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific because passengers still had to cross the Missouri River by ferry.