America First Credit Union — the Utah institution (AFCU)
America First Credit Union, abbreviated AFCU, was founded in 1939 in Riverdale, Utah by 59 civilian employees at Hill Field (now Hill Air Force Base). Over eight decades it grew into the 6th largest credit union in the United States with $23.3 billion in assets as of September 2025 and 1.5 million members. AFCU operates 116 branches across seven states: Utah (heaviest concentration), Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico, California (limited counties), and Oregon. Members access 30,000+ surcharge-free ATMs through CO-OP and Allpoint. The routing number is 324377516 across the entire institution. Member services run through 1-800-999-3961. The online portal is secure.americafirst.com; the AFCU mobile app is published in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store under America First Credit Union.
American First Credit Union — the California institution
American First Credit Union is a separate, California-based credit union headquartered in La Habra. It operates at amerfirst.org with its own member portal, its own routing number, its own branches, its own mobile app, and its own management. American First Credit Union is significantly smaller than AFCU and serves a different geographic footprint centered on Southern California. The two institutions share no corporate relationship, no shared services, and no shared infrastructure despite the similar names. Members of American First Credit Union should not use AFCU's secure.americafirst.com portal to attempt sign-in; the credential systems are completely separate.
Why the confusion exists
Both credit unions chose names referencing "America" or "American" plus "First" in the 1930s through 1950s when the United States saw a wave of community and employer-based credit union formation. The naming overlap is coincidental, not a result of any historical relationship between the two. Bing and Google search results often blend the two in autocomplete and the People Also Ask block, which compounds confusion. Members searching for "America First Credit Union login" or "American First Credit Union login" sometimes click the wrong result and find their credentials do not work — at which point the right move is to confirm which institution issued the original member card, then go to that institution's correct portal.
Overview & Key Features
America First Credit Union (AFCU) and American First Credit Union are two unrelated credit unions with similar names. AFCU is the Utah-headquartered 6th largest US credit union; American First is a smaller California institution. Verifying the correct URL, routing number, and branch state before signing in prevents credential-mismatch confusion.
- AFCU Home: americafirst.com / secure.americafirst.com (Utah, 6th largest US credit union)
- American First Home: amerfirst.org (California, smaller community institution)
- AFCU Routing: 324377516 — used across all 116 AFCU branches
- American First Routing: different ABA number — printed on their own checks
- AFCU Assets: $23.3 billion (Sep 2025)
- AFCU Members: 1.5 million across seven western states
- AFCU States: Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico, California (limited), Oregon
- AFCU Phone: 1-800-999-3961 — distinct from American First's customer line
Other credit unions with similar names
The name confusion extends beyond just AFCU and American First. Several other US credit unions share parts of the naming pattern, including America's First Federal Credit Union (Alabama, amfirst.org), Arkansas Federal Credit Union (which uses the abbreviation AFCU and operates at afcu.org), and American 1 Credit Union (Michigan). When searching for "AFCU login" or "America First login" online, Bing and Google sometimes return results for any of these. The most reliable disambiguators remain the routing number on the back of your own check and the URL printed on documents the credit union mailed to you.
People also ask about the AFCU vs American First confusion
Is America First Credit Union the same as American First Credit Union?
No. America First Credit Union (AFCU) is headquartered in Riverdale, Utah and operates 116 branches across seven western states. American First Credit Union is a separate California-based credit union at amerfirst.org. They are independent institutions with no shared infrastructure, separate routing numbers, and different login portals.
Which one is the 6th largest US credit union?
America First Credit Union (Utah, AFCU) is the 6th largest credit union in the United States with $23.3 billion in assets and 1.5 million members. American First Credit Union (California) is significantly smaller and is not ranked among the largest US credit unions.
I have an account but I am not sure which one. How do I tell?
Look at the back of one of your checks. The routing number is the nine-digit number at the bottom left. If it is 324377516, you are a member of America First Credit Union (Utah, AFCU). If it is a different ABA number, you likely belong to American First Credit Union (California) or another similarly named institution.
Can I use the AFCU app for an American First Credit Union account?
No. The credit unions are unrelated. AFCU's mobile app and the secure.americafirst.com portal only accept credentials for accounts opened at America First Credit Union (Utah). American First Credit Union (California) members must use that institution's own app and portal at amerfirst.org.
Did either credit union ever own or merge with the other?
No public record exists of a merger or acquisition between the two institutions. They appear to have grown independently from separate community origins decades ago and have remained legally distinct. The similar names are coincidental.