The Pony Express launched on April 3, 1860, as the fastest way to send mail across the American West before the telegraph reached California.
Riders carried letters about 2,000 miles between Missouri and Sacramento, switching horses every 10 to 15 miles and finishing the trip in about 10 days. The system used about 190 stations, around 400 horses and roughly 80 riders. It was fast and wildly expensive: Sending a half-ounce letter originally cost $5, almost $200 today.
The service lasted 18 months – ending in October 1861 – days after the transcontinental telegraph was completed and made the whole system obsolete.
– Staff report with AI assist*, The Today 100
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