| Years | Miles. | |
| Built | Operated | |
| 1830 | — | 23 |
| 1831 | 72 | 95 |
| 1832 | 134 | 229 |
| 1833 | 151 | 380 |
| 1834 | 253 | 633 |
| 1835 | 465 | 1,098 |
| 1836 | 175 | 1,273 |
| 1837 | 224 | 1,497 |
| 1838 | 416 | 1,913 |
| 1839 | 389 | 2,302 |
| 1840 | 516 | 2,818 |
| 1841 | 717 | 3,535 |
| 1842 | 491 | 4,026 |
| 1843 | 159 | 4,185 |
| 1844 | 192 | 4,377 |
| 1845 | 256 | 4,633 |
| 1846 | 297 | 4,930 |
| 1847 | 668 | 5,598 |
| 1848 | 398 | 5,996 |
| 1849 | 1,369 | 7,365 |
| 1850 | 1,656 | 9,021 |
| 1851 | 1,961 | 10,982 |
| 1852 | 1,926 | 12,908 |
| 1853 | 2,452 | 15,360 |
| 1854 | 1,360 | 16,720 |
| 1855 | 1,654 | 18,374 |
| 1856 | 3,642 | 22,016 |
| 1857 | 2,487 | 24,503 |
| 1858 | 2,465 | 26,963 |
| 1859 | 1,821 | 28,789 |
| 1860 | 1,846 | 30,635 |
| 1861 | 651 | 31,286 |
| 1862 | 834 | 32,120 |
| 1863 | 1,050 | 33,170 |
| 1864 | 738 | 33,908 |
| 1865 | 1,177 | 35,085 |
| 1866 | 1,716 | 36,801 |
| 1867 | 2,249 | 39,250 |
| 1868 | 2,979 | 42,229 |
| 1869 | 4,615 | 46,844 |
| 1870 | 6,070 | 52,914 |
| 1871 | 7,379 | 60,293 |
| 1872 | 5,878 | 66,171 |
| 1873 | 4,097 | 70,268 |
| 1874 | 2,117 | 72,385 |
| 1875 | 1,711 | 74,096 |
| 1876 | 2,712 | 76,808 |
| 1877 | 2,280 | 79,088 |
| 1878 | 2,679 | 81,767 |
| 1879 | 4,817 | 86,584 |
| 1880 | 6,712 | 93,296 |
| 1881 | 9,847 | 103,143 |
| 1882 | 11,569 | 114,712 |
| 1883 | 6,743 | 121,455 |
| 1884 | 3,924 | 125,379 |
| 1885 | 2,930 | 128,309 |
| 1886 | 8,100 | 136,409 |
| 1887 | 12,872 | 149,281 |
| 1888 | 6,801 | 156,082 |
Railways in the United States, 1830–1860.
(From Scribner's Statistical Atlas.)
Note.—These maps are reductions of larger maps referred to in the titles. This makes it possible to bring them within very convenient space for comparison, and compensates for any indistinctness of lettering in the maps.
The railways of 1830 are pointed out by red arrows. Those of the other maps are easily seen. The growth by decades is thus quickly located. In 1840, one continuous line stretched from New York to Washington, D. C. Another considerable line was that from Fredericksburg, Va., to Wilmington, N. C. In 1850, one could not go by direct railway from New York to either Albany or Boston. In 1860, several direct routes stretched from New York to far west of the Mississippi.
Note.—In 1860 there was also in California, a railway from Sacramento to Folsom City (22 miles).
