Location | State(s) | Elevation | Built by | Currently | Years of operation | Notes |
Marias Pass | Montana | 5,213 ft (1,589 m) | Great Northern Railway | BNSF Railway | 1893–present | Hi-Line |
Mullan Pass | Montana | 5,566 ft (1,697 m) | Northern Pacific Railroad | Montana Rail Link | 1883–present | Passes through the Mullan Tunnel |
Elk Park Pass | Montana | 6,365 ft (1,940 m) | Great Northern Railway | Burlington Northern Railroad | 1888–1972 | |
Homestake Pass | Montana | 6,328 ft (1,929 m) | Northern Pacific Railroad | BNSF Railway | 1888–present (dormant since 1983) | |
Pipestone Pass | Montana | 6,347 ft (1,935 m) | Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad | Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad | 1909–1980 | Passed through the Pipestone Pass Tunnel |
Deer Lodge Pass | Montana | 5,801 ft (1,768 m) | Utah and Northern Railway | Union Pacific Railroad | 1881–present | Narrow gauge until 1887; railroad name Feely |
Bannock Pass | Montana and Idaho | 7,575 ft (2,309 m) | Gilmore and Pittsburgh Railroad | Gilmore and Pittsburgh Railroad | 1910–1939 | Tunnel at summit |
Monida Pass | Montana and Idaho | 6,823 ft (2,080 m) | Utah and Northern Railway | Union Pacific Railroad | 1880–present | Narrow gauge until 1886 |
Reas Pass | Montana and Idaho | 6,930 ft (2,112 m) | Union Pacific Railroad | Union Pacific Railroad | 1905–1981 | Branch to West Yellowstone |
South Pass | Wyoming | 7,420 ft (2,262 m)[1] | U.S. Steel | U.S. Steel | 1962–1983 | Served U.S. Steel Atlantic City Ore Mine |
Robinson | Wyoming | 6,940 ft (2,115 m) | Union Pacific Railroad | Union Pacific Railroad | 1868–present | Two sides of the Great Divide Basin; Robinson is the true Divide (per USGS) |
Hadsell | Wyoming | 6,930 ft (2,112 m) |
Rollins Pass | Colorado | 11,660 ft (3,554 m) (1904), 9,239 ft (2,816 m) (1928) | Denver, Northwestern and Pacific Railway | Union Pacific Railroad | 1904–present | Original alignment replaced in 1928 by the Moffat Tunnel [1]) |
Jones Pass | Colorado | 8,964 ft (2,732 m)[2] | Henderson Mine | | 1976–1999 | Narrow gauge, passed through the Henderson Tunnel; replaced by a conveyor belt; elevation is for west (and only) portal |
Boreas Pass | Colorado | 11,493 ft (3,503 m) | Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad | Colorado and Southern Railway | 1882–1937 | Narrow gauge |
Fremont Pass | Colorado | 11,319 ft (3,450 m) | Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad | Colorado and Southern Railway | 1884–1937 | Narrow gauge. Line south of Climax retained, converted to standard gauge 1943, now operated by Leadville, Colorado and Southern Railroad |
Fremont Pass | Colorado | 11,330 ft (3,453 m) | Denver and Rio Grande Railroad | Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad | 1881–1923 | Narrow gauge |
Tennessee Pass | Colorado | 10,424 ft (3,177 m) [2] | Denver and Rio Grande Railroad | Denver and Rio Grande Railroad | 1887–1890 | Narrow gauge, replaced by standard gauge Tennessee Pass Tunnel |
Tennessee Pass | Colorado | 10,239 ft (3,121 m) (1890), 10,221 ft (3,115 m) (1945) [3] | Denver and Rio Grande Railroad | Union Pacific Railroad (dormant) | 1890–present (dormant since 1997) | Passed through the Tennessee Pass Tunnel (original tunnel built 1890, replaced in 1945) |
Hagerman Pass | Colorado | 11,528 ft (3,514 m) (1887),10,953 ft (3,338 m) (1893) | Colorado Midland Railway | Colorado Midland Railway | 1887–1918 | Passed through the Hagerman Tunnel, replaced in 1893 by the Busk-Ivanhoe Tunnel. Reverted to original route between 1897 and 1899 |
Alpine Tunnel | Colorado | 11,612 ft (3,539 m) | Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad | Colorado and Southern Railway | 1881–1910 | Narrow gauge |
Marshall Pass | Colorado | 10,856 ft (3,309 m) [4] | Denver and Rio Grande Railroad | Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad | 1881–1953 | Narrow gauge. Original D&RG mainline before Tennessee Pass line opened |
Azotea | New Mexico | 7,773 ft (2,369 m) [5] | Denver and Rio Grande Railroad | Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad | 1880–1968 | Narrow gauge |
Hillcrest | New Mexico | 7,714 ft (2,351 m) | Rio Grande and Southwestern Railroad | Rio Grande and Southwestern Railroad | 1903–1924 | Narrow gauge |
Campbell Pass | New Mexico | 7,244 ft (2,208 m) | Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway | BNSF Railway | 1882–present | |
Tyrone | New Mexico | 5,990 ft (1,826 m) | Burro Mountain Railroad | Southwestern Railroad | | Serves Phelps Dodge copper pit; short tunnel under Divide |
Wilna | New Mexico | 4,584 ft (1,397 m) | Southern Pacific Railroad | Union Pacific Railroad | 1883–present | Lordsburg Subdivision |
Hachita | New Mexico | 4,495 ft (1,370 m) | Arizona and New Mexico Railroad | Southern Pacific Railroad | 1902–1934 | |
Vista | New Mexico | 4,650 ft (1,417 m) (east), 4,694 ft (1,431 m) (west) | El Paso and Southwestern Railroad | Southern Pacific Railroad | 1902–1961 | Two crossings 2 miles apart |
(name unknown) | New Mexico | 4,525 ft (1,379 m) | Phelps Dodge | Phelps Dodge | 1970s–1999 | Line served Hidalgo Smelter |
Antelope | New Mexico | 4,510 ft (1,375 m) | El Paso and Southwestern Railroad | Southern Pacific Railroad | 1902–1961 | |