The last spike completing America’s first transcontinental railroad was driven at Promontory Summit, Utah, in 1869.
The ceremony took place on May 10, 1869, joining tracks built by the Union Pacific Railroad from the east and the Central Pacific Railroad from the west. Leland Stanford, a Central Pacific leader, drove the ceremonial golden spike after the two lines met.
The completed line, originally known as the Pacific Railroad, connected the existing eastern rail network at Council Bluffs, Iowa, with the Pacific coast. Its main continuous route was about 1,911 miles long and dramatically reduced travel time across the continent.
Promontory Summit is often confused with Salt Lake City or Ogden, both important Utah locations connected with the railroad. The railroad’s western terminus was associated with the San Francisco Bay area, but the famous joining ceremony occurred at Promontory. The original route was later bypassed, and the National Park Service preserves the historic site.