First Transcontinental Railroad
First Transcontinental Railroad The ceremony for the driving of the "Last Spike" at Promontory Summit, Utah, May 10, 1869 Overview Locale United States Termini Omaha, Nebraska (Council Bluffs, Iowa) Oakland Long Wharf (San Francisco Bay) Operation Opened May 10, 1869 ; 149 years ago ( 1869-05-10 ) Owner U.S. Government Operator(s) Central Pacific Union Pacific Technical Line length 3,007 km (1,868 mi) Track gauge 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 1 ⁄ 2 in ) standard gauge Map of the line Transcontinental Railroad 75th Anniversary Issue stamp of 1944 The First Transcontinental Railroad (also called the Great Transcontinental Railroad , known originally as the " Pacific Railroad " and later as the "Overland Route") was a 1,912-mile (3,077 km) continuous railroad line constructed between 1863 and 1869 that connected the existing eastern U.S. rail network at Omaha, Nebraska/Council Bluffs, Iowa with the Pacific...