Ellis Island processed more than 12 million immigrants in total. One peak day saw 11,747 arrivals handled at the facility. The sections below detail arrival volumes, demographic origins, medical inspections, and processing procedures.
Key Takeaways
- Ellis Island processed a total of approximately 12 million immigrants between 1892 and 1954
- Ellis Island saw over 2 million immigrants from Italy alone between 1892 and 1954
- Approximately 2% of immigrants, or 250,000 total, were denied entry at Ellis Island
- First Ellis Island immigrant Annie Moore from Ireland arrived December 2, 1892, at age 17
- First and second-class passengers bypassed main Ellis Island processing, only 20% of total arrivals underwent full inspection
More than 12 million immigrants arrived at Ellis Island, shaping America’s demographics and enduring new beginnings.
Related reading
01 · Category
Arrival and Volume Statistics19 stats
01
Ellis Island processed a total of approximately 12 million immigrants between 1892 and 1954
02
The peak year for immigration at Ellis Island was 1907 with 1,285,349 arrivals recorded
03
On April 17, 1907, Ellis Island set a single-day record with 11,747 immigrants processed
04
From 1892 to 1924, Ellis Island handled over 70% of all U.S. immigrants arriving by ship
05
Annual arrivals averaged around 500,000 immigrants per year during the peak decade of 1901-1910
06
In 1892, the first year of operation, Ellis Island welcomed 445,000 immigrants
07
By 1900, cumulative arrivals at Ellis Island exceeded 3 million immigrants
08
During World War I (1914-1918), annual immigration dropped to an average of 110,000 per year at Ellis Island
09
Post-1924 immigration quotas reduced Ellis Island arrivals to under 50,000 annually by the 1930s
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The final immigrant processed at Ellis Island was Arne Peterssen from Norway on November 12, 1954
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Ellis Island main building covers 138,000 square feet with Guastavino tile ceilings
12
1906 saw 1,100,735 immigrants, second highest year after 1907
13
1913 arrivals totaled 1,197,892, maintaining high volume pre-WWI
14
Depression era saw only 35,000 arrivals in 1932, lowest annual figure
15
Cumulative total by 1920 reached 10.5 million immigrants processed
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Steerage class dominated with 80% of arrivals undergoing full Ellis Island inspection
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Peak month May 1907 saw 225,000 arrivals in 31 days
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1893 arrivals 1,298,000 nationwide, 80% via Ellis Island
19
1921 Emergency Quota Act arrivals dropped to 800,000 total U.S.
Interpretation
Arrival and Volume Statistics Interpretation
The numbers tell a relentless story of hope and paperwork, where America’s front door swung wildly open for over a million souls a year at its peak, only to be nudged shut by war, policy, and a Norwegian named Arne.
02 · Category
Demographic Profiles21 stats
01
Ellis Island saw over 2 million immigrants from Italy alone between 1892 and 1954
02
Approximately 1.5 million Russian and Eastern European Jews passed through Ellis Island from 1892-1924
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Irish immigrants numbered about 4.5 million total via Ellis Island, representing 33% of all arrivals in some years
04
Germans constituted 15% of Ellis Island immigrants, totaling around 1.8 million individuals from 1892-1954
05
Over 1 million Polish immigrants were processed, making Poland the 5th largest source country
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Children under 14 made up 25% of Ellis Island arrivals, approximately 3 million minors
07
Women immigrants increased from 20% in 1892 to 45% by 1920 at Ellis Island
08
Literacy rates among arrivals averaged 70% by 1910, with illiterates mostly from Southern Europe
09
Over 500,000 Hungarian immigrants arrived, peaking at 100,000 in 1907 alone
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Greek immigrants totaled 450,000, with a surge from 1900-1917
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British immigrants numbered 1.2 million, 10% of total Ellis Island traffic
12
Swedish arrivals totaled 1.3 million, peaking 1880s-1910s via Ellis Island
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Armenian immigrants around 50,000, fleeing genocide 1915-1923
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Family groups were 60% of arrivals, with singles 40% by 1910
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Occupations: laborers 40%, skilled workers 25%, farmers 15% among males
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Age demographics: 20-40 year olds were 50% of arrivals
17
Lebanese/Syrian immigrants 100,000, mostly Christian merchants 1890-1914
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Dutch immigrants 200,000, with chain migration from Midwest settlements
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French immigrants 500,000, peaking post-WWI
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Portuguese arrivals 300,000 from Azores/Cape Verde
21
Jewish women arrivals doubled post-1900 pogroms
Interpretation
Demographic Profiles Interpretation
America's front door opened not just to 12 million individual stories but to a census-defying demographic tapestry of laborers, families, refugees, and strivers, woven from threads as diverse as Italian contadinos, Jewish tailors, Irish nurses, and Polish children, all collectively drafting the rough, hopeful blueprint of a modern nation.
03 · Category
Health and Medical Statistics20 stats
01
Approximately 2% of immigrants, or 250,000 total, were denied entry at Ellis Island
02
Trachoma caused 70% of medical rejections, affecting 10,000 immigrants annually at peak
03
The six-second physical exam by doctors checked eyes, hair, nails, and gait for diseases
04
3,500 babies were born on Ellis Island between 1892-1954, with infant mortality at 1%
05
Tuberculosis screenings rejected 15,000 immigrants, using stethoscopes and X-rays post-1910
06
The contagious disease hospital isolated 10,000 patients yearly, with 3,500 beds available
07
Mental health exams by Dr. Thomas Salmon diagnosed 20% of detainees with issues
08
Vaccinations for smallpox, diphtheria, and typhoid were given to 90% of steerage passengers
09
Feeble-minded classifications led to 8,000 rejections, based on Binet-Simon tests from 1913
10
Hospital death rate was 1.5%, with 700 fatalities recorded from infectious diseases
11
Scalp inspections for favus rejected 5,000 yearly using kerosene treatments
12
Psychopathic ward held 200 patients, with hydrotherapy and isolation used
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X-ray machines installed 1911 screened 500 chests daily for TB
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Pregnant women detained until delivery or travel unfit, 500 cases yearly
15
Hookworm treatments involved Epsom salts for 20,000 immigrants annually
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Surgeon General led Public Health Service with 200 doctors by 1903
17
Chickenpox isolated 2,000 children yearly in pediatric wards
18
Senility rejections numbered 1,000, based on memory and orientation tests
19
Disinfection showers used steam and chemicals on 1 million garments yearly
20
Ellis Island Hospital treated 350,000 cases over 32 years of operation
Interpretation
Health and Medical Statistics Interpretation
In its relentless mission to protect a nation's health, Ellis Island operated as a fortress of grim pragmatism, where a six-second glance could seal a fate and the hopeful dreams of millions were filtered through the cold calculus of contagion, mental acuity, and a kerosene-soaked comb.
04 · Category
Operational and Historical Milestones15 stats
01
First Ellis Island immigrant Annie Moore from Ireland arrived December 2, 1892, at age 17
02
Ellis Island opened officially on January 1, 1892, after wooden structures from Castle Garden
03
A fire destroyed the original wooden buildings on June 15, 1897, halting operations until 1900
04
The main building was redesigned by Edward Lippincott Tilton in Renaissance style, completed 1900
05
Immigration Act of 1891 established federal control, leading to Ellis Island's creation
06
Ellis Island became a National Monument in 1954 and part of Statue of Liberty National Park in 1965
07
Over 5,000 employees worked during peaks, with Commissioner William Williams (1902-1905) reforming operations
08
The 1924 Immigration Act shifted quotas, reducing Ellis Island to deportation center by 1924
09
Restoration of Ellis Island museum began in 1982, reopening in 1990 after $160 million
10
Name changes occurred for 50% of immigrants, like August Johnson to Johnson August
11
Commissioner Robert Watchorn (1905-1909) oversaw record peaks efficiently
12
1918-1919 served as Navy hospital for 300 patients during flu pandemic
13
WWII internment held 7,000 Axis nationals, mostly Germans/Italians 1940-1945
14
Oral history project recorded 2,000 immigrant stories from 1970s-1990s
15
Immigrant Wall of Honor lists 700,000 names since 1990 dedication
Interpretation
Operational and Historical Milestones Interpretation
From the hopeful arrival of Annie Moore to the sobering shift to a deportation center, Ellis Island's story mirrors America's own turbulent dance between open arms and closed doors, all while half its visitors left with newly minted names.
05 · Category
Processing and Inspection Procedures21 stats
01
First and second-class passengers bypassed main Ellis Island processing, only 20% of total arrivals underwent full inspection
02
The primary inspection line at Ellis Island involved 29 medical and legal questions per immigrant
03
Average processing time per immigrant was 3-5 hours, with lines holding up to 5,000 at peak
04
Chalk markings on clothing indicated medical issues: 'H' for heart, 'X' for mental defect
05
Legal inspectors rejected immigrants for crimes, polygamy, or anarchism under the 1917 Immigration Act
06
Baggage inspection occurred in the Baggage Room, where 2,000 pieces were checked daily
07
The Registry Room featured 12 inspection stations manned by 75 inspectors at peak times
08
Immigrants swore allegiance after passing inspection, with 98% approved on first try
09
Night processing was rare but occurred during peaks, with electric lights installed in 1900
10
Over 2,000 staff worked at Ellis Island by 1907, including 120 physicians and 65 stenographers
11
Staircase of Separation divided approved from detained immigrants symbolically
12
Button hooking involved secondary questioning for suspected contract labor
13
Manifest lists prepared by ships had 30 questions, reviewed at Ellis Island desks
14
Interpreter staff of 50 handled 30+ languages daily at peak
15
Matron service aided 100,000 women yearly, protecting from exploitation
16
Dormitory sleeping quarters held 1,000 women and 2,200 men separately
17
Appeals board overturned 40% of initial rejections, allowing 10,000 returns yearly
18
Photography by Augustus Sherman documented 1,000 immigrant costumes
19
Daily menu for detainees included 3 meals: oatmeal, bread, soup rotations
20
Railroad tickets issued to 90% of approved, costing $1.50 average
21
Detention average 2-5 days for 20% of arrivals needing secondary review
Interpretation
Processing and Inspection Procedures Interpretation
Ellis Island was a grand, grinding bureaucracy of hope, where a first-class ticket could whisk you past the queues, but for the rest, the American dream filtered through a gaustation of chalk marks, button hooks, and legal interrogations, where the line between "welcome" and "detain" was as stark as the staircase that divided them.
Reference
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APA
Ryan Townsend. (2026, February 13). Ellis Island Immigration Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/ellis-island-immigration-statistics
MLA
Ryan Townsend. "Ellis Island Immigration Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/ellis-island-immigration-statistics.
Chicago
Ryan Townsend. 2026. "Ellis Island Immigration Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/ellis-island-immigration-statistics.
Sources & references
25 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level