US Immigration Passenger Arrival 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. ($)

Included in Above Partner Site Indexes
If you have already searched the Partner Sites, you have searched these collections.
 * 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
 * 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
 * 1890-1963 U.S., Select Crew Lists and Manifests, 1890-1963, index, images, ($)
 * 1911-1954 No index, browse images only.
 * 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

Baltimore

 * 1820-1964 Baltimore, Passenger Lists, 1820-1964 ($)
 * 1820-1834 Passenger Arrivals at the Port of Baltimore, 1820-1834, ($), index
 * 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, index.
 * 1954-1957

Boston

 * 1811-1921 — index and images
 * 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 Index and images. Also at MyHeritage, index ($)
 * 1846-1851 Boston Passenger Lists 1846-1851, ($), index
 * 1848-1891, index and images.
 * 1891-1943
 * 1899-1940, index and images.
 * 1899-1940 Book Indexes to Boston Passenger Lists, 1899-1940, ($), index
 * 1917-1943, index and images.
 * 1921-1949, index.

Galveston

 * Galveston Immigration Database, index
 * 1893-1960 Galveston Passengers (1893-1960), index, ($)

Honolulu

 * 1900-1952
 * 1900-1953 Hawaii, Honolulu Passenger Lists, 1900-1953, ($), index
 * 1900-1953 Images only. Also at MyHeritage, index ($)
 * 1900-1959 Honolulu, Hawaii, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1900-1959 ($)
 * 1942-1948, images only.
 * 1942-1948 — index and images

Los Angeles

 * 1900-1948 California, Los Angeles, San Pedro, and Wilmington Passenger Lists, 1900-1948, ($), index
 * 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
 * 1846-1851 New Orleans Passenger Lists 1846-1851, ($), index
 * 1867-1871, index.
 * 1903-1945 Louisiana, New Orleans Passenger Lists, 1903-1945, ($), 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. ($)
 * 1675-1920 Browse images only.
 * 1820-1891 Partial index.
 * 1820-1850 New York, Passenger and Immigration Lists, 1820-1850 ($)
 * 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, Images and images.
 * 1890-1930 Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore Steamship Arrivals, 1890-1930, ($), index
 * 1892-1924 Index only. Also at The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. Expanded Release. Index only.
 * 1897-1902, index
 * 1902-1956 Browse images only.
 * 1906-1942
 * 1909, 1925-1957 — index and images
 * 1917-1973 New York State, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1917-1973 ($)
 * 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, ($), index
 * 1800-1862 Also at MyHeritage,index ($)
 * 1800-1906
 * 1800-1948 Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Passenger Lists, 1800-1948, ($), index
 * 1846-1851 Philadelphia Passenger Lists 1846-1851, ($), index
 * 1883-1945
 * 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, Images only.
 * 1929-1954 Images only.

San Francisco

 * 1893-1953 . Also at Findmypast, ($), index
 * 1893-1934, index
 * 1896-1921, index.
 * 1903-1918, index.
 * 1910-1941, Images only.
 * 1912-1946, index.
 * 1930-1949, index.
 * 1936-1949, Images only.
 * 1954-1957, images only.

Border Crossings

 * 1894-1954, index; also at MyHeritage ($)
 * 1895-1960, index
 * 1895-1960 Border Crossings: From Canada to U.S., 1895-1960 ($)
 * 1905-1963 Detroit Border Crossings and Passenger and Crew Lists, 1905-1963, ($)
 * 1908-1935 Border Crossings: From U.S. to Canada, 1908-1935 Some records in French.($)

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 &amp; 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 and 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, index.
 * 1905-1923, Images only.
 * 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, Index and images.
 * 1928-1942, Images only. (FS)
 * 1928-1942 — index and images (FS)
 * 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 ($)
 * 1850-1897
 * 1850-1934 Hamburg Passenger Lists, 1850-1934 In German, includes ships coming to U.S., index only for 1850-1923. ($)

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 and 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
 * 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, Images only. (FS)
 * 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

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.