Length of the Railroad

1,912 miles

The Transcontinental Railroad was 1,912 miles long. The deepest part of the ocean is only 7 miles deep, so this railroad is over 273 times bigger!

Workers Involved

Over 18,000 workers

8,000 Irish, German, and Italian immigrants were hired by Union Pacific and 10,000 Chinese workers hired by Central Pacific. If all the workers stood on each other's heads they would be 18 miles tall!

Golden Spike Ceremony

May 10, 1869

The Golden Spike used was made of 18 karat gold and weighed around 14 ounces. The ceremony was the first national media event and was broadcasted using telegraphs.

Completion Time

7 years

The construction of the Transcontinental Railroad was a race between the east and west side and the amount of money paid to each side was based on how much of the railroad they built.