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Angel Island Immigration Station

Angel Island Immigration Station is a historic site in California, at a modelled elevation of 12 m. Mount Tamalpais East Peak stands 784 m to the west-northwest, 9.2 miles off. The nearest named place is Detention Barracks Museum, a museum less than a tenth of a mile away.

The story

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.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Wikidata Q7890688, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.

What to expect

Fee
No

Official site

How to reach it

Coordinates37.86940, -122.42586

Named places within 25 miles

Museums
Historic sites
  • Wooden watchtower: 0.0 mi
  • Fort McDowell (East Garrison): 0.6 mi
  • Ayala Cove: 0.6 mi
  • SF-91L Nike missile launch site: 0.9 mi
  • Battery Drew: 1.1 mi
Picnic sites
Peaks
Attractions
Parks
Artworks
Nature reserves
Gardens
Beaches: 43
Waterfalls: 16
Springs: 13
Cliffs: 7
Ghost towns: 6
Natural arches: 3
  • Bird Island Arch: 6.8 mi
  • Temple: 22.0 mi
  • Keyhole: 22.5 mi
Rest areas: 2
Hot springs: 1
  • Steep Ravine Hot Spring: 11.2 mi

Summits around it

The highest named summits within 9.2 miles of Angel Island Immigration Station. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Mount Tamalpais East PeakWNW 297°784 m9.2 mi
Richardson EastWSW 252°338.6 m4.2 mi
Peak 1041W 260°317.297 m5.4 mi
William Rust SummitENE 62°306 m8.3 mi
Knob HillWNW 301°285 m8.8 mi
Mount DavidsonS 189°283 m9.2 mi
Slacker HillSW 236°282 m4.2 mi
Hawk HillSW 235°281 m4.9 mi

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox07:1418:4719:22
June solstice05:4919:5720:36
September equinox06:5818:3419:08
December solstice07:2316:1316:55

Local time (America/Los_Angeles).

Climate normals

Months averaging 5080 °F: year-round.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F515456586163636465635751
Precip in4.84.83.21.60.70.30.00.10.01.42.74.9

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Richmond, 4 mi away.

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

National Register of Historic Places, reference 71000164OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOfficial site
  • National Register of Historic Places — Angel Island Immigration Station, reference 71000164, listed 10/14/71.

OpenStreetMap element way/449024651

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