US Immigration Passenger Arrival Records
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How do I find records?
Online Records
- One Step Webpages by Stephen Morse Provides a comprehensive list of links to passenger lists.
Partner Sites Indexing Multiple Databases
Use these search engines first to check for your ancestor in multiple databases for many ports all at once.
- FamilySearch Historical Records: Under "Restrict records by", click on "Type". Check the "Immigration and Naturalization" box.
- Ancestry.com Immigration and Travel Collections. ($)
- Findmypast Immigration and Travel Collections. ($)
- MyHeritage Immigration and TravelCollections. ($)
Collections With Nationwide Coverage
Included in Above Partner Site Indexes
Most of the collects are in the above websites.
- New World Immigrants, Vol. II, ($), index
- 1500s-1900s U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s ($), index. Also at MyHeritage, ($), index.
- 1600-1700 Persons of Quality Original Lists (immigrants 1600-1700), ($), index
- 1620-1635 New England, The Great Migration and The Great Migration Begins, 1620-1635, ($), index
- -1684 Passengers and Ships Prior to 1684, ($), index
- 1820-1874 United States Index to Passenger Arrivals, Atlantic and Gulf Ports, 1820-1874
- 1820-1874 United States, Atlantic Ocean and Gulf Coast Ports Passenger Lists, 1820-1874, ($), index
- 1820-1873, 1893-1959 U.S., Atlantic Ports Passenger Lists, 1820-1873 and 1893-1959, ($), index. Roll 1: 1820-1871,Roll 2: 1820-1873, Roll 4: 1820-1870, Roll 6: 1820-1863, Roll 7: 1820-1835, Roll 8: 1845-1849
- 1829-1957 New England, Passenger and Crew Lists at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
- 1890-1963 U.S., Select Crew Lists and Manifests, 1890-1963, index, images ($)
- 1897-1992 United States, Masters’ of Vessels Oaths, 1897-1992 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1911-1954 New England, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1911-1954 No index, browse images only.
- 1918-1940United States, New England Seamen's Identification Cards, 1918-1940, images
Additional Collections Not Included in Above Partner Site Indexes
Although there will be some overlap with the Partner Site searches, you should search these collections. Different search engines can yield different results.
- United States, Transatlantic Migration Indexes, index ($)
- Ship Passenger Lists and Records Online, links
- 1600s Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's, index
- 1620-1640 The Great Migration Study Project, 1620-1640, index
- Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild, index
Immigration Records By Major Port
Baltimore
- 1820-1964 Baltimore, Passenger Lists, 1820-1964 ($)
- 1820-1834 Passenger Arrivals at the Port of Baltimore, 1820-1834, ($), index
- 1820-1948 Maryland, Baltimore Passenger Lists, 1820-1948
- 1820-1897 Baltimore, Maryland, Passenger List Card Index, 1820-1897, ($)
- 1820-1957 Maryland, Baltimore Passenger Lists, 1820-1957, ($), index
- 1846-1851 Baltimore Passenger Lists 1846-1851, ($), index
- 1890-1930 Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore Steamship Arrivals, 1890-1930, ($), index
- 1891-1943 Baltimore, Maryland Passenger Lists, 1891-1943, index ($)
- 1897-1952 Maryland, Baltimore Passenger Lists Index, 1897-1952, index.
- 1954-1957 Maryland, Baltimore, Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels and Airplanes, 1954-1957
Boston
- 1811-1921 Massachusetts, Boston, Crew Lists, 1811-1921 — index and images
- 1820-1891 Massachusetts, Boston Passenger Lists, 1820-1891
- 1820-1891 Boston, Massachusetts, Passenger Lists, 1820-1891, index ($)
- 1820-1943 Massachusetts, Boston Passenger Lists, 1820-1943, ($), index
- 1820-1963 Boston Passenger and Crew Lists, 1820-1963 ($)
- 1890-1930 Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore Steamship Arrivals, 1890-1930, ($), index
- 1891-1943 Massachusetts, Boston Passenger Lists, 1891-1943 Index and images. Also at MyHeritage, index ($)
- 1846-1851 Boston Passenger Lists 1846-1851, ($), index
- 1848-1891 Massachusetts, Boston Passenger Lists, 1848-1891, index and images.
- 1891-1943 Massachusetts, Boston Passenger Lists, 1891-1943
- 1899-1940Massachusetts, Boston Passenger Lists Index, 1899-1940, index and images.
- 1899-1940 Book Indexes to Boston Passenger Lists, 1899-1940, ($), index
- 1917-1943 Massachusetts, Boston Crew Lists, 1917-1943, index and images.
- 1921-1949 Massachusetts, Index to Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Boston, 1921-1949, index.
Galveston
- Galveston Immigration Database, index
- 1893-1960 Galveston Passengers (1893-1960), index ($)
Honolulu
- 1900-1952 Hawaii, Honolulu Index to Passengers, Not Including Filipinos, 1900-1952
- 1900-1953 Hawaii, Honolulu Passenger Lists, 1900-1953, ($), index
- 1900-1953 Hawaii, Honolulu Passenger Lists, 1900-1953 Images only. Also at MyHeritage, index ($)
- 1900-1959 Honolulu, Hawaii, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1900-1959 ($)
- 1942-1948 Hawaii, Passenger Lists of Airplanes departing Honolulu, 1942-1948, images only.
- 1942-1948 Hawaii, Passenger Lists of Airplanes departing Honolulu, 1942-1948 — index and images
Los Angeles
- 1900-1948 California, Los Angeles, San Pedro, and Wilmington Passenger Lists, 1900-1948, ($), index
- 1907-1948 California, Los Angeles Passenger Lists, 1907-1948
New Orleans
- 1807-1860 Louisiana, New Orleans, Slave Manifests of Coastwise Vessels, 1807-1860, index & images
- 1807-1860 New Orleans, Louisiana, Slave Manifests, 1807-1860 Index and images ($)
- 1813-1963 New Orleans, Passenger Lists, 1813-1963 ($)
- 1820-1945 Louisiana, New Orleans Passenger Lists, 1820-1945
- 1846-1851 New Orleans Passenger Lists 1846-1851, ($), index
- 1867-1871 United States, Louisiana, Passenger Departures from New Orleans, 1867-1871, index.
- 1903-1945 Louisiana, New Orleans Passenger Lists, 1903-1945, ($), index
New York
- 1624-1664 Ships Passenger Lists to New Netherland, New York 1624 to 1664
- 1675-1920 New York, Genealogical Records, 1675-1920 Includes passenger lists. ($)
- 1675-1920 New York, New York, Index to Passenger Lists, 1820-1846 Browse images only.
- 1820-1891 New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1891 Partial index.
- 1820-1850 New York, Passenger and Immigration Lists, 1820-1850 ($)
- 1820-1957 New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 ($). Also at Findmypast, ($), index
- 1846-1851 Passengers arriving in New York from Ireland 1846 - 1851 ($), index
- 1846-1890 New York Passenger Lists 1846-1890, ($), index
- 1887-1921 New York, New York, Soundex to Passenger and Crew Lists, 1887-1921, Images and images.
- 1890-1930 Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore Steamship Arrivals, 1890-1930, ($), index
- 1892-1924 New York, Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924 Index only.
- 1892-1924 Passenger List Search - The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc.
- 1897-1902 New York, New York, Index to Passengers Lists of Vessels, 1897-1902, index
- 1902-1956 New York, Northern Arrival Manifests, 1902-1956 Browse images only.
- 1906-1942 New York Book Indexes to Passenger Lists 1906-1942
- 1909, 1925-1957 New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1957 — index and images
- 1917-1973 New York State, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1917-1973 ($)
- 1917-1957 New York, New York, Index to Alien Crewmen Who Were Discharged or Who Deserted, 1917-1957, Images only.
Philadelphia
- 1800-1962 Philadelphia Passenger Lists, 1800-1962 ($)
- 1800-1819 Passenger Arrivals at the Port of Philadelphia, 1800-1819, ($), index
- 1800-1850 Philadelphia, Passenger and Immigration Lists, 1800-1850, ($), index
- 1800-1862 Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Passenger Lists, 1800-1882 Also at MyHeritage,index ($)
- 1800-1906 Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Passenger Lists Index, 1800-1906
- 1800-1948 Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Passenger Lists, 1800-1948, ($), index
- 1846-1851 Philadelphia Passenger Lists 1846-1851, ($), index
- 1883-1945 Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Passenger Lists, 1883-1945
- 1883-1948 Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Passenger List Index Cards, 1883-1948 Also at MyHeritage, index ($)
- 1890-1930 Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore Steamship Arrivals, 1890-1930, ($), index
- 1893-1909 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Immigration Records, Special Boards of Inquiry, 1893-1909, ($), index
San Diego
- 1904-1952 California, San Diego Passenger Lists, 1904-1952, Images only.
- 1929-1954 California, San Diego, Airplane Passenger and Crew Lists, 1929-1954, Images only.
San Francisco
- 1893-1953 California, San Francisco Passenger Lists, 1893-1953. Also at Findmypast, ($), index
- 1893-1934 California, index to San Francisco passenger lists, 1893-1934, index
- 1896-1921 California, San Francisco Crew Manifests, 1896-1921, index.
- 1903-1918 California, customs passenger lists of vessels arriving at San Francisco, 1903-1918, index.
- 1910-1941 California, San Francisco, Immigration Office Special Inquiry Records, 1910-1941, Images only.
- 1912-1946 United States, California, Certificates Surrendered at San Francisco from Aliens Previously at Honolulu, Hawaii, 1912-1946, index.
- 1930-1949 California, List of United States Citizens Arriving at San Francisco, 1930-1949, index.
- 1936-1949 California, San Francisco Airplane Arrival Card Index, 1936-1949, Images only.
- 1954-1957 California, San Francisco Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving, 1954-1957, images only.
Border Crossings
- 1894-1954 United States, Border Crossings from Canada to United States, 1894-1954, index; also at MyHeritage ($)
- 1895-1960 United States Border Crossings from Canada to United States, 1895-1960, index
- 1895-1960 Border Crossings: From Canada to U.S., 1895-1960 ($)
- 1905-1963 Detroit Border Crossings and Passenger and Crew Lists, 1905-1963, ($)
- 1908-1935 Border Crossings: From U.S. to Canada, 1908-1935 Some records in French.($)
Immigration Records by Ethnic, Nationality, Political, Religious, or Socioeconomic Groups
Indentured or Bonded Servants
- Bonded Passengers to America (9 vols. In 3), ($), index
- 1614-1775 Emigrants in Bondage, 1614-1775, index ($).
- 1615-1779 Bonded Passengers to America (Volumes I and II) 1615-1775 & 1617-1775, ($), index
- Immigrant Servants Database, index
- The Original Lists of Persons of Quality: Emigrants; Religious Exiles; Political Rebels; Serving Men Sold for a Term of Years; Apprentices; Children Stolen; Maidens Pressed; and Others Who Went from Great Britain to the American Plantations, 1600-1700, with Their Ages, the Localities Where They Formerly Lived in the Mother Country, the Names of the Ships in which They Embarked, and Other Interesting Particulars; from MSS. Preserved in the State Paper Department of Her Majesty's Public Record Office, England, images Indexed at Ancestry ($)
- Omitted Chapters from Hotten's Original Lists of Persons of Quality ... and Others Who Went from Great Britain to the American Plantations at Ancestry - index & images ($)
Slavery
- 1790-1860 U.S., Southeast Coast-wise Inward and Outward Slave Manifests, 1790-1860 ($)
- 1807-1860 Louisiana, New Orleans, Slave Manifests of Coastwise Vessels, 1807-1860, index & images
- 1807-1860 New Orleans, Louisiana, Slave Manifests, 1807-1860 Index and images ($)
Quaker
- 1682-1750 Immigration of Irish Quakers to Pennsylvania, 1682-1750, ($), index
British
- 1636-1815 Early Emigration From Britain 1636-1815, index ($)
- 1636-1815 Early Emigration From Britain 1636-1815, browse images ($)
- 1890-1960 UK, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960 Includes ships coming to U.S. ($)
Chinese
- 1882-1947 California, San Francisco Chinese passenger lists, 1882-1947, index.
- 1905-1923 California, San Diego, Chinese Passenger and Crew Lists, 1905-1923, Images only.
- 1912-1943 California, Chinese Partnerships and Departures from San Francisco, 1912-1943, Images only.
Dutch
- 1820-1880 Dutch Immigrants to America, 1820-1880, ($), index
- 1881-1894 Dutch Immigrants: New York Passenger Lists, 1881-1894 ($)
Filipino
- 1900-1952 Hawaii, Index to Filipino Passengers Arriving at Honolulu, 1900-1952, Index and images.
- 1928-1942 California Immigration Registers of Japanese, Filipinos, and Hawaiians at San Francisco, 1928-1942, Images only. (FS)
- 1928-1942 California Immigration Registers of Japanese, Filipinos, and Hawaiians at San Francisco, 1928-1942 — index and images (FS)
- 1946 Hawaii, Index to Filipino Arrivals to Honolulu, 1946, index and images.
Finnish
- 1892-1960 Matkustajaluettelot Suomen Höyrylaiva Osakeyhtiö (Passenger lists Finland Steamship Company) 1892-1960
- Migrant Register($) at Siirtolaisuusinstituutti (Migration Institute) Information on contents
German
- Germans Immigrating to the United States, index ($)
- 1850-1897 United States Germans to America Index, 1850-1897
- 1850-1934 Hamburg Passenger Lists, 1850-1934 In German, includes ships coming to U.S., index only for 1850-1923. ($)
Irish
- Irish Emigration database
- Irish Immigrants Database
- Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild Choose a volume and then choose Ireland under "Listed by Port of Departure" or "Listed by Port of Arrival".
- Irish Emigrants in North America, Part 1-6 - at Ancestry, index & images ($).
- 1682-1750 Immigration of Irish Quakers to Pennsylvania, 1682-1750, ($), index
- 1803-1806 Irish Passenger Lists, 1803-1806, index ($)
- 1833-1839 Irish Emigration Lists, 1833-1839, index ($)
- 1841-1849 Irish Emigration to New England through the Port of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, 1841 to 1849, index ($).
- 1846-1851 Ireland Famine Emigrants Online (1846-1851)
- 1846-1851 New York, Irish Immigrant Arrival Records, 1846 - 1851, ($)
- 1846-1851 Irish Famine Immigrants, 1846 - 1851
- 1847--1871 Irish Passenger Lists, 1847-1871, index ($)
- 1850-1883 New York Emigrant Savings Bank, 1850-1883, index ($)
- 1946-1971 Free Access: Africa, Asia and Europe, Passenger Lists of Displaced Persons, 1946-1971 Ancestry, free. Index and images. Passenger lists of immigrants leaving Germany and other European ports and airports between 1946-1971. The majority of the immigrants listed in this collection are displaced persons - Holocaust survivors, former concentration camp inmates and Nazi forced laborers, as well as refugees from Central and Eastern European countries and some non-European countries.
Italian
- 1855-1900 United States Italians to America Index, 1855-1900
- 1855-1900 Italians to America Passenger Data File, 1855 - 1900, NARA, index, incomplete.
- 1855-1900Italians Immigrating to the United States, 1855-1900, ($), index, incomplete.
- 1855-1900 Italians to America Passenger Data File, 1855 - 1900, NARA, index and images
- 1905-1910 Italian Passengers to Louisiana, 1905-10 ($), index, incomplete.
Japanese
- 1928-1942 California Immigration Registers of Japanese, Filipinos, and Hawaiians at San Francisco, 1928-1942, Images only. (FS)
- 1928-1942 California Immigration Registers of Japanese, Filipinos, and Hawaiians at San Francisco, 1928-1942 — index and images (FS)
Jewish
- 1882-1929 U.S, Boston Arrivals of Jewish Immigrants from HIAS Records, 1882-1929, ($), index
- 1901-1917 Galveston, Texas, Jewish Immigration Records, 1901-1917, ($), index
Russian
- Russians Immigrating to the United States, index ($)
- Russians To America ($), index.
- 19th Century Russian Immigrants to the USA, index.
- 1834-1897 United States Russians to America Index, 1834-1897
Offices to Contact
National Archives and Records Administration
- The National Archives (NARA) has immigration records for arrivals to the United States from foreign ports between approximately 1820 and 1982. The records are arranged by Port of Arrival (See Part 5).
- Order copies of passenger arrival records with NATF Form 81.
- You may do research in immigration records in person at the National Archives Building, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20408-0001.
- Some National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) regional facilities have selected immigration records; call to verify their availability or check the online Microfilm Catalog.
Requesting a Record
- Web Request Page allows you to request a records, pay fees, and upload supporting documents.
- Record Requests Frequently Asked Questions
What are United States passenger arrival records?
Immigration refers to people coming into a country. Emigration refers to people leaving a country to go to another. The records usually take the form of ship's passenger lists collected at the port of entry.
What can I find in them?
- Passenger lists before 1820 included name, departure information and arrival details. The names of wives and children were often not included.
- Customs Passenger Lists between 1820 and 1891 asked for each immigrant’s name, their age, their sex, their occupation, and their country of origin, but not the city or town of origin.
- Information given on passenger lists from 1891 to 1954 included:
- name, age, sex,
- nationality, occupation, marital status,
- last residence, final destination in the U.S.,
- whether they had been to the U.S. before (and if so, when, where and how long),
- if joining a relative, who this person was, where they lived, and their relationship,
- whether able to read and write,
- whether in possession of a train ticket to their final destination, who paid for the passage,
- amount of money the immigrant had in their possession,
- whether the passenger had ever been in prison, a poorhouse, or in an institution for the insane,
- whether the passenger was a polygamist,
- and immigrant's state of health.
- In 1906, the physical description and place of birth were included, and a year later, the name and address of the passenger’s closest living relative in the country of origin was included.
Example:
Example: This passenger list gives the name and age of each passenger, their birth place, last residence in the home country, information on next of kin in the home country, and information on any relative they are joining in the U.S.
Search Strategies
- You will usually find several possible entries for immigrants with similar names and ages. Learn everything you can so you can distinguish your ancestor from others of the same name. Knowing your ancestor’s full name, approximate date of arrival in the United States, approximate age on arrival to the United States, the likely port of arrival, the name of their spouse, their religion, and their occupation will all help in identifying your ancestor in passenger lists.
- Many immigrants traveled in groups or settled among friends and relatives from their native land. Knowing the names of some relatives, neighbors and friends of your ancestor will help identify him on a passenger list.
- Remember it wasn’t uncommon for one member of the family to come to the United States first and send for the rest of the family after getting established.
- It is important to understand that many immigrant names were misspelled, misunderstood because of heavy accents or the lack of the ability to speak English, or Americanized. A name may have been lengthened or shortened. Search each index creatively for name variations.
Emigration and Immigration Background and Records by State
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
References