Route: St. Joseph, Mo., to Sacramento, Calif.
Trail length: Almost 2,000 miles
Date: April 3, 1860 to October 1861
Rider qualifications: Newspaper ad read "Wanted. Young, skinny, wiry fellows. Not over 18. Must be expert riders. Willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred." Most riders were around 20, the youngest 11, the oldest was in mid-40s.
Rider pay: $100 per month
Rider relay: New rider every 75 to 100 miles
Horse relay: Fresh horse every 10 to 15 miles
Speed: Horses averaged 10 miles per hour
Stations: Approximately 165 stations
Schedule: St. Joseph to Sacramento in 10 days in summer; 12 to 16 days in winter
Cost of mail: $5 per 1/2 ounce at the beginning later decreased to $1 per 1/2 ounce
Cost to deliver: $16 for each of the 35,000 pieces if mail delivered
End of Pony Express: Oct. 24, 1861, with completion of transcontinental telegraph
SOURCES: www.americanwest.com, Time-Life Books, "Through Our Eyes," Deseret News Publishing