
Immigration Records are some of the richest genealogy record sets and can provide excellent clues as well as data about your ancestors. Specifically, when they came to America, or traveled but did not immigrate. Emigration records can tell you when they left their homeland and can direct you to when they might have immigrated if you are having trouble finding the immigration record.
What types of information are available in these records? First of all, let me clarify that naturalization records are a related type of record. You can discover online naturalization collections and records available via links on this website on the Naturalizations Page. In the Petition for Naturalization record for example, where and when the applicant arrived in the U.S. is stated. And the Certificate of Arrival is another immigration document used in the naturalization process.
Here’s an article that will list the information available: 45 Reasons to Research Immigration Records
Regarding immigration – it bears repeating – not EVERYONE came through Ellis Island. It was opened between 1892 and 1954. Approximately 12 million people came through that immigration station. The highest year was 1907 when just over 1,000,000 people came through. For immigrants landing in the U.S. ports in the 19th century and early 20th century, the busiest ports were New York, Baltimore, Boston, New Orleans, and Philadelphia. There were almost 100 ports that were used by immigrants to enter the U.S., via the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Great Lakes.
It is also helpful to review emigration records as well. It sometimes occurs that an immigration record is not available online for a variety of reasons, but you might find some useful information from emigration records where one of you’re ancestors embarked on their journey to America.
Here are a few free online sites that have online emigration records available.
Denmark – The Digital Danish Emigration Archives
Norway – Digital Archives – Emigrant Records
Germany – Oldenburg Emigrants Database
Ireland – Irish Famine Emigrants 1846-1851 database
Russia – Russians to America Passenger Data File, 1834 – 1897
Germany – Germans to America Passenger Data File, 1850 – 1897
Italy – Italians to America Passenger Data File, 1855 – 1900
Germany – Hamburg Passenger List
Also listed are passenger lists for travel that may not have been immigration-related. I have discovered interesting clues and information from non-immigration travel records as well.
(Updated January 2023)
Below are links to Free Online Immigration and Travel Collections for the states in the region.
- Free Online Alabama Immigration Records
- Free Online Alaska Immigration Records
- Free Online Arizona Immigration Records
- Free Online Arkansas Immigration Records
- Free Online California Immigration Records
- Free Online Colorado Immigration Records
- Free Online Connecticut Immigration Records
- Free Online Delaware Immigration Records
- Free Online District of Columbia Immigration Records
- Free Online Florida Immigration Records
- Free Online Georgia Immigration Records
- Free Online Hawaii Immigration Records
- Free Online Idaho Immigration Records
- Free Online Illinois Immigration Records
- Free Online Indiana Immigration Records
- Free Online Iowa Immigration Records
- Free Online Kansas Immigration Records
- Free Online Kentucky Immigration Records
- Free Online Louisiana Immigration Records
- Free Online Maine Immigration Records
- Free Online Maryland Immigration Records
- Free Online Massachusetts Immigration Records
- Free Online Michigan Immigration Records
- Free Online Minnesota Immigration Records
- Free Online Mississippi Immigration Records
- Free Online Missouri Immigration Records
- Free Online Montana Immigration Records
- Free Online Nebraska Immigration Records
- Free Online Nevada Immigration Records
- Free Online New Hampshire Immigration Records
- Free Online New Jersey Immigration Records
- Free Online New Mexico Immigration Records
- Free Online New York Immigration Records
- Free Online North Carolina Immigration Records
- Free Online North Dakota Immigration Records
- Free Online Ohio Immigration Records
- Free Online Oklahoma Immigration Records
- Free Online Oregon Immigration Records
- Free Online Pennsylvania Immigration Records
- Free Online Rhode Island Immigration Records
- Free Online South Carolina Immigration Records
- Free Online South Dakota Immigration Records
- Free Online Tennessee Immigration Records
- Free Online Texas Immigration Records
- Free Online Utah Immigration Records
- Free Online Vermont Immigration Records
- Free Online Virginia Immigration Records
- Free Online Washington Immigration Records
- Free Online West Virginia Immigration Records
- Free Online Wisconsin Immigration Records
- Free Online Wyoming Immigration Records
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!