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The Pony Express: Quick Facts
- When it began: April 3, 1860
- Where it went: To and from St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California
- How many miles: 1,966
- How many riders: 183
- How often a rider changed horses: every 10 to 15 miles
- How often a shipment changed riders: every 75 to 100 miles
- Pay: $100 a month
- Cost to send mail: $5 for 1/2 ounce (reduced to $1 for 1/2 ounce by end of Pony Express)
- Fastest full-route ride: 7 days, 17 hours (containing text of President Abraham Lincoln's inaugural address
- When it ended: October 24, 1861
- Why it ended: Telegraph supplanted it
- Total miles covered: 650,000
Click here for full Pony Express story.
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