It took ten to twelve days for the Pony Express to deliver mail.
April 3, 1860 — “Pony Express begins delivering mail” via the U.S. Postal Service — The official name for the Pony Express was the Central Overland California & Pikes Peak Express Co. Before the company hired riders, they had to swear on a Bible not to curse, fight or abuse their animals. The first Pony Express mail, traveling by horse and rider relay teams, simultaneously leaves St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California. Ten days later, on April 13, the westbound rider and mail packet completed the 1,800-mile journey and arrived in Sacramento, beating the eastbound packet’s arrival in St. Joseph by two days and setting a new standard for speedy mail delivery.
Seems like it takes that long now.
