Angel Island, U.S. Immigration Station
National Historic Landmark

Angel Island, U.S. Immigration Station

Tiburon, Marin County, California
Listed
October 13, 1971
Type
District
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
71000164

About this property

Angel Island Immigration Station was an immigration station in San Francisco Bay which operated from January 21, 1910, to November 5, 1940, where immigrants entering the United States were detained and interrogated. It is estimated that some 100,000 Chinese immigrants and 85,000 Japanese immigrants (among others) entered the United States through this station. Angel Island is an island in San Francisco Bay. It is currently a State Park administered by California State Parks and a California Historical Landmark. The island was originally a fishing and hunting site for Coastal Miwok Indians and later a haven for Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala. Later, it was developed as a cattle ranch, then, starting with the Civil War, the island served as a U.S. Army post. During the island's Immigration Station period, the island held hundreds of thousands of immigrants, the majority from China, Japan, India, Mexico, the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand. The detention facility was considered ideal because of its isolated location, making it very easy to control immigrants, contain outbreaks of disease, and enforce the new immigration laws. After the war the station was abandoned, but the wall inscriptions left by inmates helped spur a preservation movement and the barracks were renovated. The nearby hospital opened as a museum in 2022. The station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places under the title Angel Island, U.S. Immigration Station, and is a National Historic Landmark. The station is open to the public as a museum – "a place for reflection and discovery of our shared history as a nation of immigrants". In 2026, the National Trust for Historic Preservation listed the location on their annual "America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places" due to physical, environmental, political, and economic factors.

Location

Tiburon, Marin County, California
37.86934, -122.42637

Categories

MILITARYPREHISTORICSOCIAL HISTORYARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
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The Community
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Rivers & Rail
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Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Nearby Historic Sites

Lyford's Stone Tower
Industrial
1.3 mi
San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad Station House-Depot
Industrial
1.4 mi
St. Hilary's Mission Church
Colonial
1.7 mi
Rey, Valentine, House
Industrial
1.8 mi
Alcatraz
Listed
2.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Angel Island, U.S. Immigration Station listed on the National Register?

Angel Island, U.S. Immigration Station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 13, 1971.

What type of historic resource is Angel Island, U.S. Immigration Station?

Angel Island, U.S. Immigration Station is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Angel Island, U.S. Immigration Station a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Angel Island, U.S. Immigration Station has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Angel Island, U.S. Immigration Station?

The period of significance for Angel Island, U.S. Immigration Station is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1910.

Can I research the history near Angel Island, U.S. Immigration Station?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Angel Island, U.S. Immigration Station will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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