SELECT UNION from multiple tables with same schema in MySQL I want to SELECT (combine) records from multiple tables with the same schema. This is the query that I use:

SELECT visitor_name, in_time, out_time, blacklist FROM visitor_archive_2012 UNION 
SELECT visitor_name, in_time, out_time, blacklist FROM visitor_archive_2013 UNION 
SELECT visitor_name, in_time, out_time, blacklist FROM visitor_archive_2014 UNION 
SELECT visitor_name, in_time, out_time, blacklist FROM visitor_archive_2015 


I am quite certain there is a less redundant and verbose way to write this query. The schema for each of the table is exactly the same. This is in MySQL 5.6
Yes, there is a less redundant/verbose way -- PARTITION a single table by year.  Then a single SELECT will do the job.

But, that may not even be wise.  What queries benefit from your splitting it into multiple tables?