National Register of Historic Places

Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal

Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California
Listed
November 13, 1980
Type
Building
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
80000811

About this property

Los Angeles Union Station is the main railroad station in Los Angeles, California, and the largest passenger rail terminal in the Western United States. It opened in May 1939 as the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal, replacing La Grande Station, Central Station, and Salt Lake Station. Approved in a controversial ballot measure in 1926 and built in the 1930s, it served to consolidate rail services from the Santa Fe, Southern Pacific, and Union Pacific railroads into one terminal station. Conceived on a grand scale, Union Station became known as the "Last of the Great Railway Stations" built in the United States. The structure combines Art Deco, Mission Revival, and Streamline Moderne style. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Today, the station is a major transportation hub for Southern California, serving almost 110,000 passengers a day. It is by far the busiest railroad station in the Western United States; it is Amtrak's fifth-busiest station, and is the thirteenth-busiest railroad station in North America. Four of Amtrak's long-distance trains originate and terminate here: the Coast Starlight to Seattle, the Southwest Chief and Texas Eagle to Chicago, and the Sunset Limited to New Orleans. The state-supported Amtrak Pacific Surfliner regional trains run frequently to San Diego and also to Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. The station is the hub of the Metrolink commuter rail system and is a major transfer point for several Metro Rail light rail and rapid transit lines. The Patsaouras Transit Plaza, on the east side of the station, serves dozens of bus lines operated by Los Angeles Metro and several other municipal carriers.

Location

800 N. Alameda St.
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California
34.05761, -118.23458

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTTRANSPORTATIONARCHITECTURE
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.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal

This page lists Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

US Post Office-Los Angeles Terminal Annex
Industrial
0.2 mi
Plaza Substation
Industrial
0.2 mi
Los Angeles Plaza Historic District
Early Republic
0.3 mi
Federal Building
Modern
0.4 mi
US Court House and Post Office
Industrial
0.5 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of Los Angeles
1846Mexican-American War
0.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal listed on the National Register?

Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 13, 1980.

What type of historic resource is Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal?

Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal?

The period of significance for Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal is recorded as the civil_war era.

Can I research the history near Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal?

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 Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Los Angeles County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Los Angeles County.

Explore Los AngelesCounty ›

More historic places in California

Browse all historic places in California.

View Californiahistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

California history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Californiahistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report