President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump watched the eclipse from the White House balcony as it tracked over Washington DC.
The spectacle is the first total solar eclipse since 1918 to move completely coast to coast across the United States. It became visible in Oregon just after 10am local time and swept east through Idaho towards South Carolina in a 90 minute trip.
Millions of Americans gathered to view the rarity, wearing protective eclipse glasses as the Moon passed over the Sun.
The South Pacific will experience the next total solar eclipse in July 2019.