The City of Seattle left Philadelphia on September 21, 1890, and because the Panama Canal would not open until 1914, the City of Seattle had to make the 17,000 mile journey around Cape Horn at the southernmost tip of South America. On October 13, the City of Seattle reached Rio de Janeiro, then reached Valparaiso on November 10, before arriving at San Francisco on December 10. In San Francisco, the City of Seattle was repainted and had its boilers and machinery inspected before departing on the final leg to Seattle.