Where was the ceremonial “Last Spike” driven to complete America's first transcontinental railroad?

The ceremonial “Last Spike” was driven at Promontory Summit, Utah, to complete America's first transcontinental railroad.

The ceremony took place on May 10, 1869, when the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads met. Leland Stanford, president of the Central Pacific, drove the final ceremonial golden spike into the track. The event symbolized the connection of the eastern rail network with the Pacific coast.

The railroad was built between 1863 and 1869. Union Pacific crews worked westward from the Council Bluffs, Iowa, area, while Central Pacific crews worked eastward from Sacramento, California. Chinese laborers formed a major part of the Central Pacific workforce, and Irish immigrants were prominent among Union Pacific workers.

Promontory Summit is often confused with Salt Lake City, the nearest major city associated with the ceremony. The railroad's original route later changed, and the famous meeting site is now preserved as Golden Spike National Historical Park.