The first transcontinental railroad’s ceremonial Last Spike ceremony occurred at Promontory Summit in Utah on May 10, 1869.
The Central Pacific Railroad built eastward from Sacramento, while the Union Pacific built westward from the Missouri River. Their tracks met at Promontory Summit, creating a continuous rail connection between the existing eastern network and the Pacific coast.
Central Pacific president Leland Stanford used a ceremonial golden spike, often called the Last Spike, to mark the connection. The spike was struck with a silver hammer. The line opened for through traffic between Sacramento and Omaha that day, although the final connection to the San Francisco Bay terminus was completed later.
The railroad was about 1,911 miles long and transformed travel, shipping, settlement, and commerce across the American West. Promontory was the ceremony site, while Ogden later became the practical interchange point between the two railroad systems, a distinction that often causes confusion.