diff --git a/packages/common/src/location/location.ts b/packages/common/src/location/location.ts
index d3997e4f90484..c09bce6258093 100644
--- a/packages/common/src/location/location.ts
+++ b/packages/common/src/location/location.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import {LocationStrategy} from './location_strategy';
 /** @experimental */
 export interface PopStateEvent {
   pop?: boolean;
+  state?: any;
   type?: string;
   url?: string;
 }
@@ -56,6 +57,7 @@ export class Location {
       this._subject.emit({
         'url': this.path(true),
         'pop': true,
+        'state': ev.state,
         'type': ev.type,
       });
     });
@@ -103,16 +105,16 @@ export class Location {
    * Changes the browsers URL to the normalized version of the given URL, and pushes a
    * new item onto the platform's history.
    */
-  go(path: string, query: string = ''): void {
-    this._platformStrategy.pushState(null, '', path, query);
+  go(path: string, query: string = '', state: any = null): void {
+    this._platformStrategy.pushState(state, '', path, query);
   }
 
   /**
    * Changes the browsers URL to the normalized version of the given URL, and replaces
    * the top item on the platform's history stack.
    */
-  replaceState(path: string, query: string = ''): void {
-    this._platformStrategy.replaceState(null, '', path, query);
+  replaceState(path: string, query: string = '', state: any = null): void {
+    this._platformStrategy.replaceState(state, '', path, query);
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/packages/common/src/location/platform_location.ts b/packages/common/src/location/platform_location.ts
index 0f5cb5f32ec96..177b6a474a538 100644
--- a/packages/common/src/location/platform_location.ts
+++ b/packages/common/src/location/platform_location.ts
@@ -58,7 +58,10 @@ export const LOCATION_INITIALIZED = new InjectionToken<Promise<any>>('Location I
  *
  * @experimental
  */
-export interface LocationChangeEvent { type: string; }
+export interface LocationChangeEvent {
+  type: string;
+  state: any;
+}
 
 /**
  * @experimental
diff --git a/packages/common/testing/src/location_mock.ts b/packages/common/testing/src/location_mock.ts
index 55b71a7e08453..802d9978f1378 100644
--- a/packages/common/testing/src/location_mock.ts
+++ b/packages/common/testing/src/location_mock.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import {ISubscription} from 'rxjs/Subscription';
 @Injectable()
 export class SpyLocation implements Location {
   urlChanges: string[] = [];
-  private _history: LocationState[] = [new LocationState('', '')];
+  private _history: LocationState[] = [new LocationState('', '', null)];
   private _historyIndex: number = 0;
   /** @internal */
   _subject: EventEmitter<any> = new EventEmitter();
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ export class SpyLocation implements Location {
 
   path(): string { return this._history[this._historyIndex].path; }
 
+  private state(): string { return this._history[this._historyIndex].state; }
+
   isCurrentPathEqualTo(path: string, query: string = ''): boolean {
     const givenPath = path.endsWith('/') ? path.substring(0, path.length - 1) : path;
     const currPath =
@@ -60,13 +62,13 @@ export class SpyLocation implements Location {
     return this._baseHref + url;
   }
 
-  go(path: string, query: string = '') {
+  go(path: string, query: string = '', state: any = null) {
     path = this.prepareExternalUrl(path);
 
     if (this._historyIndex > 0) {
       this._history.splice(this._historyIndex + 1);
     }
-    this._history.push(new LocationState(path, query));
+    this._history.push(new LocationState(path, query, state));
     this._historyIndex = this._history.length - 1;
 
     const locationState = this._history[this._historyIndex - 1];
@@ -79,7 +81,7 @@ export class SpyLocation implements Location {
     this._subject.emit({'url': url, 'pop': false});
   }
 
-  replaceState(path: string, query: string = '') {
+  replaceState(path: string, query: string = '', state: any = null) {
     path = this.prepareExternalUrl(path);
 
     const history = this._history[this._historyIndex];
@@ -89,6 +91,7 @@ export class SpyLocation implements Location {
 
     history.path = path;
     history.query = query;
+    history.state = state;
 
     const url = path + (query.length > 0 ? ('?' + query) : '');
     this.urlChanges.push('replace: ' + url);
@@ -97,14 +100,14 @@ export class SpyLocation implements Location {
   forward() {
     if (this._historyIndex < (this._history.length - 1)) {
       this._historyIndex++;
-      this._subject.emit({'url': this.path(), 'pop': true});
+      this._subject.emit({'url': this.path(), 'state': this.state(), 'pop': true});
     }
   }
 
   back() {
     if (this._historyIndex > 0) {
       this._historyIndex--;
-      this._subject.emit({'url': this.path(), 'pop': true});
+      this._subject.emit({'url': this.path(), 'state': this.state(), 'pop': true});
     }
   }
 
@@ -118,10 +121,5 @@ export class SpyLocation implements Location {
 }
 
 class LocationState {
-  path: string;
-  query: string;
-  constructor(path: string, query: string) {
-    this.path = path;
-    this.query = query;
-  }
+  constructor(public path: string, public query: string, public state: any) {}
 }
diff --git a/packages/platform-server/src/location.ts b/packages/platform-server/src/location.ts
index b4983799cbde7..34d1d71425578 100644
--- a/packages/platform-server/src/location.ts
+++ b/packages/platform-server/src/location.ts
@@ -63,8 +63,9 @@ export class ServerPlatformLocation implements PlatformLocation {
     }
     (this as{hash: string}).hash = value;
     const newUrl = this.url;
-    scheduleMicroTask(
-        () => this._hashUpdate.next({ type: 'hashchange', oldUrl, newUrl } as LocationChangeEvent));
+    scheduleMicroTask(() => this._hashUpdate.next({
+      type: 'hashchange', state: null, oldUrl, newUrl
+    } as LocationChangeEvent));
   }
 
   replaceState(state: any, title: string, newUrl: string): void {
diff --git a/packages/router/src/events.ts b/packages/router/src/events.ts
index b6a5d46fca465..67e1508499226 100644
--- a/packages/router/src/events.ts
+++ b/packages/router/src/events.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,16 @@
 import {Route} from './config';
 import {ActivatedRouteSnapshot, RouterStateSnapshot} from './router_state';
 
+/**
+ * @whatItDoes Identifies the trigger of the navigation.
+ *
+ * * 'imperative'--triggered by `router.navigateByUrl` or `router.navigate`.
+ * * 'popstate'--triggered by a popstate event
+ * * 'hashchange'--triggered by a hashchange event
+ *
+ * @experimental
+ */
+export type NavigationTrigger = 'imperative' | 'popstate' | 'hashchange';
 
 /**
  * @whatItDoes Base for events the Router goes through, as opposed to events tied to a specific
@@ -42,6 +52,43 @@ export class RouterEvent {
  * @stable
  */
 export class NavigationStart extends RouterEvent {
+  /**
+   * Identifies the trigger of the navigation.
+   *
+   * * 'imperative'--triggered by `router.navigateByUrl` or `router.navigate`.
+   * * 'popstate'--triggered by a popstate event
+   * * 'hashchange'--triggered by a hashchange event
+   */
+  navigationTrigger?: 'imperative'|'popstate'|'hashchange';
+
+  /**
+   * This contains the navigation id that pushed the history record that the router navigates
+   * back to. This is not null only when the navigation is triggered by a popstate event.
+   *
+   * The router assigns a navigationId to every router transition/navigation. Even when the user
+   * clicks on the back button in the browser, a new navigation id will be created. So from
+   * the perspective of the router, the router never "goes back". By using the `restoredState`
+   * and its navigationId, you can implement behavior that differentiates between creating new
+   * states
+   * and popstate events. In the latter case you can restore some remembered state (e.g., scroll
+   * position).
+   */
+  restoredState?: {navigationId: number}|null;
+
+  constructor(
+      /** @docsNotRequired */
+      id: number,
+      /** @docsNotRequired */
+      url: string,
+      /** @docsNotRequired */
+      navigationTrigger: 'imperative'|'popstate'|'hashchange' = 'imperative',
+      /** @docsNotRequired */
+      restoredState: {navigationId: number}|null = null) {
+    super(id, url);
+    this.navigationTrigger = navigationTrigger;
+    this.restoredState = restoredState;
+  }
+
   /** @docsNotRequired */
   toString(): string { return `NavigationStart(id: ${this.id}, url: '${this.url}')`; }
 }
diff --git a/packages/router/src/router.ts b/packages/router/src/router.ts
index 4c1f278c3c4e0..fcbdeb76277a5 100644
--- a/packages/router/src/router.ts
+++ b/packages/router/src/router.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import {applyRedirects} from './apply_redirects';
 import {LoadedRouterConfig, QueryParamsHandling, Route, Routes, validateConfig} from './config';
 import {createRouterState} from './create_router_state';
 import {createUrlTree} from './create_url_tree';
-import {ActivationEnd, ChildActivationEnd, Event, GuardsCheckEnd, GuardsCheckStart, NavigationCancel, NavigationEnd, NavigationError, NavigationStart, ResolveEnd, ResolveStart, RouteConfigLoadEnd, RouteConfigLoadStart, RoutesRecognized} from './events';
+import {ActivationEnd, ChildActivationEnd, Event, GuardsCheckEnd, GuardsCheckStart, NavigationCancel, NavigationEnd, NavigationError, NavigationStart, NavigationTrigger, ResolveEnd, ResolveStart, RouteConfigLoadEnd, RouteConfigLoadStart, RoutesRecognized} from './events';
 import {PreActivation} from './pre_activation';
 import {recognize} from './recognize';
 import {DefaultRouteReuseStrategy, DetachedRouteHandleInternal, RouteReuseStrategy} from './route_reuse_strategy';
@@ -164,8 +164,6 @@ function defaultErrorHandler(error: any): any {
   throw error;
 }
 
-type NavigationSource = 'imperative' | 'popstate' | 'hashchange';
-
 type NavigationParams = {
   id: number,
   rawUrl: UrlTree,
@@ -173,7 +171,8 @@ type NavigationParams = {
   resolve: any,
   reject: any,
   promise: Promise<boolean>,
-  source: NavigationSource,
+  source: NavigationTrigger,
+  state: {navigationId: number} | null
 };
 
 /**
@@ -223,6 +222,7 @@ export class Router {
    * Indicates if at least one navigation happened.
    */
   navigated: boolean = false;
+  private lastSuccessfulId: number = -1;
 
   /**
    * Used by RouterModule. This allows us to
@@ -311,8 +311,12 @@ export class Router {
     if (!this.locationSubscription) {
       this.locationSubscription = <any>this.location.subscribe(Zone.current.wrap((change: any) => {
         const rawUrlTree = this.urlSerializer.parse(change['url']);
-        const source: NavigationSource = change['type'] === 'popstate' ? 'popstate' : 'hashchange';
-        setTimeout(() => { this.scheduleNavigation(rawUrlTree, source, {replaceUrl: true}); }, 0);
+        const source: NavigationTrigger = change['type'] === 'popstate' ? 'popstate' : 'hashchange';
+        const state = change.state && change.state.navigationId ?
+            {navigationId: change.state.navigationId} :
+            null;
+        setTimeout(
+            () => { this.scheduleNavigation(rawUrlTree, source, state, {replaceUrl: true}); }, 0);
       }));
     }
   }
@@ -341,6 +345,7 @@ export class Router {
     validateConfig(config);
     this.config = config;
     this.navigated = false;
+    this.lastSuccessfulId = -1;
   }
 
   /** @docsNotRequired */
@@ -449,7 +454,7 @@ export class Router {
     const urlTree = url instanceof UrlTree ? url : this.parseUrl(url);
     const mergedTree = this.urlHandlingStrategy.merge(urlTree, this.rawUrlTree);
 
-    return this.scheduleNavigation(mergedTree, 'imperative', extras);
+    return this.scheduleNavigation(mergedTree, 'imperative', null, extras);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -522,8 +527,9 @@ export class Router {
         .subscribe(() => {});
   }
 
-  private scheduleNavigation(rawUrl: UrlTree, source: NavigationSource, extras: NavigationExtras):
-      Promise<boolean> {
+  private scheduleNavigation(
+      rawUrl: UrlTree, source: NavigationTrigger, state: {navigationId: number}|null,
+      extras: NavigationExtras): Promise<boolean> {
     const lastNavigation = this.navigations.value;
 
     // If the user triggers a navigation imperatively (e.g., by using navigateByUrl),
@@ -558,21 +564,22 @@ export class Router {
     });
 
     const id = ++this.navigationId;
-    this.navigations.next({id, source, rawUrl, extras, resolve, reject, promise});
+    this.navigations.next({id, source, state, rawUrl, extras, resolve, reject, promise});
 
     // Make sure that the error is propagated even though `processNavigations` catch
     // handler does not rethrow
     return promise.catch((e: any) => Promise.reject(e));
   }
 
-  private executeScheduledNavigation({id, rawUrl, extras, resolve, reject}: NavigationParams):
-      void {
+  private executeScheduledNavigation({id, rawUrl, extras, resolve, reject, source,
+                                      state}: NavigationParams): void {
     const url = this.urlHandlingStrategy.extract(rawUrl);
     const urlTransition = !this.navigated || url.toString() !== this.currentUrlTree.toString();
 
     if ((this.onSameUrlNavigation === 'reload' ? true : urlTransition) &&
         this.urlHandlingStrategy.shouldProcessUrl(rawUrl)) {
-      (this.events as Subject<Event>).next(new NavigationStart(id, this.serializeUrl(url)));
+      (this.events as Subject<Event>)
+          .next(new NavigationStart(id, this.serializeUrl(url), source, state));
       Promise.resolve()
           .then(
               (_) => this.runNavigate(
@@ -584,7 +591,8 @@ export class Router {
     } else if (
         urlTransition && this.rawUrlTree &&
         this.urlHandlingStrategy.shouldProcessUrl(this.rawUrlTree)) {
-      (this.events as Subject<Event>).next(new NavigationStart(id, this.serializeUrl(url)));
+      (this.events as Subject<Event>)
+          .next(new NavigationStart(id, this.serializeUrl(url), source, state));
       Promise.resolve()
           .then(
               (_) => this.runNavigate(
@@ -727,9 +735,9 @@ export class Router {
             if (!skipLocationChange) {
               const path = this.urlSerializer.serialize(this.rawUrlTree);
               if (this.location.isCurrentPathEqualTo(path) || replaceUrl) {
-                this.location.replaceState(path);
+                this.location.replaceState(path, '', {navigationId: id});
               } else {
-                this.location.go(path);
+                this.location.go(path, '', {navigationId: id});
               }
             }
 
@@ -743,6 +751,7 @@ export class Router {
               () => {
                 if (navigationIsSuccessful) {
                   this.navigated = true;
+                  this.lastSuccessfulId = id;
                   (this.events as Subject<Event>)
                       .next(new NavigationEnd(
                           id, this.serializeUrl(url), this.serializeUrl(this.currentUrlTree)));
@@ -784,7 +793,8 @@ export class Router {
   }
 
   private resetUrlToCurrentUrlTree(): void {
-    this.location.replaceState(this.urlSerializer.serialize(this.rawUrlTree));
+    this.location.replaceState(
+        this.urlSerializer.serialize(this.rawUrlTree), '', {navigationId: this.lastSuccessfulId});
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/router/test/integration.spec.ts b/packages/router/test/integration.spec.ts
index 8df1c43ef88a0..9a09b4ba26acb 100644
--- a/packages/router/test/integration.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/router/test/integration.spec.ts
@@ -76,6 +76,28 @@ describe('Integration', () => {
          ]);
        })));
 
+    it('should set the restoredState to null when executing imperative navigations',
+       fakeAsync(inject([Router], (router: Router) => {
+         router.resetConfig([
+           {path: '', component: SimpleCmp},
+           {path: 'simple', component: SimpleCmp},
+         ]);
+
+         const fixture = createRoot(router, RootCmp);
+         let event: NavigationStart;
+         router.events.subscribe(e => {
+           if (e instanceof NavigationStart) {
+             event = e;
+           }
+         });
+
+         router.navigateByUrl('/simple');
+         tick();
+
+         expect(event !.navigationTrigger).toEqual('imperative');
+         expect(event !.restoredState).toEqual(null);
+       })));
+
     it('should not pollute browser history when replaceUrl is set to true',
        fakeAsync(inject([Router, Location], (router: Router, location: SpyLocation) => {
          router.resetConfig([
@@ -466,21 +488,34 @@ describe('Integration', () => {
              [{path: 'simple', component: SimpleCmp}, {path: 'user/:name', component: UserCmp}]
        }]);
 
+       let event: NavigationStart;
+       router.events.subscribe(e => {
+         if (e instanceof NavigationStart) {
+           event = e;
+         }
+       });
 
        router.navigateByUrl('/team/33/simple');
        advance(fixture);
        expect(location.path()).toEqual('/team/33/simple');
+       const simpleNavStart = event !;
 
        router.navigateByUrl('/team/22/user/victor');
        advance(fixture);
+       const userVictorNavStart = event !;
+
 
        location.back();
        advance(fixture);
        expect(location.path()).toEqual('/team/33/simple');
+       expect(event !.navigationTrigger).toEqual('hashchange');
+       expect(event !.restoredState !.navigationId).toEqual(simpleNavStart.id);
 
        location.forward();
        advance(fixture);
        expect(location.path()).toEqual('/team/22/user/victor');
+       expect(event !.navigationTrigger).toEqual('hashchange');
+       expect(event !.restoredState !.navigationId).toEqual(userVictorNavStart.id);
      })));
 
   it('should navigate to the same url when config changes',
@@ -868,6 +903,40 @@ describe('Integration', () => {
        expect(locationUrlBeforeEmittingError).toEqual('/simple');
      }));
 
+  it('should reset the url with the right state when navigation errors', fakeAsync(() => {
+       const router: Router = TestBed.get(Router);
+       const location: SpyLocation = TestBed.get(Location);
+       const fixture = createRoot(router, RootCmp);
+
+       router.resetConfig([
+         {path: 'simple1', component: SimpleCmp}, {path: 'simple2', component: SimpleCmp},
+         {path: 'throwing', component: ThrowingCmp}
+       ]);
+
+
+       let event: NavigationStart;
+       router.events.subscribe(e => {
+         if (e instanceof NavigationStart) {
+           event = e;
+         }
+       });
+
+       router.navigateByUrl('/simple1');
+       advance(fixture);
+       const simple1NavStart = event !;
+
+       router.navigateByUrl('/throwing').catch(() => null);
+       advance(fixture);
+
+       router.navigateByUrl('/simple2');
+       advance(fixture);
+
+       location.back();
+       tick();
+
+       expect(event !.restoredState !.navigationId).toEqual(simple1NavStart.id);
+     }));
+
   it('should not trigger another navigation when resetting the url back due to a NavigationError',
      fakeAsync(() => {
        const router = TestBed.get(Router);
diff --git a/tools/public_api_guard/common/common.d.ts b/tools/public_api_guard/common/common.d.ts
index 40d879e2eade9..7edceead7b398 100644
--- a/tools/public_api_guard/common/common.d.ts
+++ b/tools/public_api_guard/common/common.d.ts
@@ -182,12 +182,12 @@ export declare class Location {
     constructor(platformStrategy: LocationStrategy);
     back(): void;
     forward(): void;
-    go(path: string, query?: string): void;
+    go(path: string, query?: string, state?: any): void;
     isCurrentPathEqualTo(path: string, query?: string): boolean;
     normalize(url: string): string;
     path(includeHash?: boolean): string;
     prepareExternalUrl(url: string): string;
-    replaceState(path: string, query?: string): void;
+    replaceState(path: string, query?: string, state?: any): void;
     subscribe(onNext: (value: PopStateEvent) => void, onThrow?: ((exception: any) => void) | null, onReturn?: (() => void) | null): ISubscription;
     static joinWithSlash(start: string, end: string): string;
     static normalizeQueryParams(params: string): string;
@@ -199,6 +199,7 @@ export declare const LOCATION_INITIALIZED: InjectionToken<Promise<any>>;
 
 /** @experimental */
 export interface LocationChangeEvent {
+    state: any;
     type: string;
 }
 
@@ -415,6 +416,7 @@ export declare enum Plural {
 /** @experimental */
 export interface PopStateEvent {
     pop?: boolean;
+    state?: any;
     type?: string;
     url?: string;
 }
diff --git a/tools/public_api_guard/common/testing.d.ts b/tools/public_api_guard/common/testing.d.ts
index edac756fc1fb2..e428ab66923b9 100644
--- a/tools/public_api_guard/common/testing.d.ts
+++ b/tools/public_api_guard/common/testing.d.ts
@@ -21,12 +21,12 @@ export declare class SpyLocation implements Location {
     urlChanges: string[];
     back(): void;
     forward(): void;
-    go(path: string, query?: string): void;
+    go(path: string, query?: string, state?: any): void;
     isCurrentPathEqualTo(path: string, query?: string): boolean;
     normalize(url: string): string;
     path(): string;
     prepareExternalUrl(url: string): string;
-    replaceState(path: string, query?: string): void;
+    replaceState(path: string, query?: string, state?: any): void;
     setBaseHref(url: string): void;
     setInitialPath(url: string): void;
     simulateHashChange(pathname: string): void;
diff --git a/tools/public_api_guard/router/router.d.ts b/tools/public_api_guard/router/router.d.ts
index f9f05242266cf..7fa17a655eb1d 100644
--- a/tools/public_api_guard/router/router.d.ts
+++ b/tools/public_api_guard/router/router.d.ts
@@ -208,6 +208,17 @@ export interface NavigationExtras {
 
 /** @stable */
 export declare class NavigationStart extends RouterEvent {
+    navigationTrigger?: 'imperative' | 'popstate' | 'hashchange';
+    restoredState?: {
+        navigationId: number;
+    } | null;
+    constructor(
+        id: number,
+        url: string,
+        navigationTrigger?: 'imperative' | 'popstate' | 'hashchange',
+        restoredState?: {
+        navigationId: number;
+    } | null);
     toString(): string;
 }