The first transcontinental railroad was completed at Promontory Summit on May 10, 1869.
The ceremony joined the Central Pacific Railroad, building east from Sacramento, with the Union Pacific Railroad, building west from the Missouri River. Leland Stanford of the Central Pacific ceremonially drove the final spike at Promontory Summit in Utah Territory.
The railroad connected the existing eastern network with the Pacific coast and reduced coast-to-coast travel from months to about a week. It also accelerated settlement, commerce, mail delivery, and migration across the American West.
The often-used name “Golden Spike” can cause confusion. The ceremonial spike was gold, but it was not the only final piece of track, and the railroad’s wider connections were completed in stages. The line initially linked Sacramento and Omaha; later work connected the route more directly to the San Francisco Bay area and bridged the Missouri River.