| Summary of Railway Mileage in the United States by States and Territories in 1909, 1908 and 1907 and its Relation to Area and Population. | |||||
| Bureau's Figures | 1907(a) | Miles of | Inhabitants | ||
| 1909 | 1908 | Owned | Line per 100 | per | |
| Operated | Operated | (Official) | Sq. Miles of | Mile of | |
| Miles | Miles | Miles | Territory | Line | |
| Alabama | 4,917 | 4,644 | 4,840 | 9.77 | 406 |
| Arkansas | 3,996 | 3,758 | 4,861 | 9.21 | 301 |
| California | 6,376 | 6,251 | 6,664 | 4.38 | 243 |
| Colorado | 5,229 | 5,096 | 5,295 | 5.11 | 114 |
| Connecticut | 930 | 936 | 1,016 | 20.96 | 999 |
| Delaware | 342 | 343 | 336 | 17.14 | 615 |
| Florida | 3,117 | 2,960 | 3,970 | 7.39 | 148 |
| Georgia | 6,485 | 6,293 | 6,783 | 11.65 | 361 |
| Idaho | 1,651 | 1,568 | 1,731 | 2.09 | 102 |
| Illinois | 13,216 | 12,796 | 12,137 | 21.80 | 442 |
| Indiana | 7,774 | 7,326 | 7,259 | 20.24 | 388 |
| Iowa | 9,923 | 9,865 | 9,867 | 17.87 | 252 |
| Kansas | 9,125 | 9,175 | 8,936 | 10.94 | 184 |
| Kentucky | 3,229 | 3,205 | 3,441 | 8.71 | 690 |
| Louisiana | 3,860 | 3,805 | 4,558 | 10.43 | 326 |
| Maine | 1,984 | 1,750 | 2,093 | 7.19 | 361 |
| Maryland | 1,325 | 1,278 | 1,432 | 14.90 | 906 |
| Massachusetts | 2,079 | 2,079 | 2,112 | 26.45 | 1,492 |
| Michigan | 8,384 | 8,312 | 8,941 | 15.63 | 302 |
| Minnesota | 8,258 | 8,100 | 8,246 | 10.46 | 236 |
| Mississippi | 3,545 | 3,281 | 4,081 | 9.00 | 416 |
| Missouri | 8,200 | 8,141 | 8,039 | 11.79 | 429 |
| Montana | 3,537 | 3,406 | 3,307 | 2.28 | 91 |
| Nebraska | 6,099 | 6,083 | 5,932 | 7.76 | 200 |
| Nevada | 1,621 | 1,540 | 1,700 | 1.55 | 28 |
| New Hampshire | 1,211 | 1,211 | 1,248 | 13.86 | 369 |
| New Jersey | 2,046 | 2,046 | 2,250 | 30.59 | 917 |
| New York | 8,106 | 7,989 | 8,472 | 17.86 | 957 |
| North Carolina | 3,567 | 3,332 | 4,385 | 9.21 | 473 |
| North Dakota | 4,026 | 4,025 | 3,906 | 5.56 | 118 |
| Ohio | 8,951 | 9,041 | 9,261 | 22.75 | 502 |
| Oklahoma | 5,572 | 5,532 | 2,821 | 7.84 | 202 |
| Oregon | 1,687 | 1,600 | 1,939 | 2.07 | 237 |
| Pennsylvania | 10,532 | 10,224 | 11,259 | 25.25 | 621 |
| Rhode Island | 192 | 190 | 208 | 20.11 | 2,262 |
| South Carolina | 2,892 | 2,975 | 3,271 | 11.02 | 451 |
| South Dakota | 3,646 | 3,568 | 3,703 | 4.82 | 122 |
| Tennessee | 3,283 | 3,528 | 3,725 | 9.01 | 600 |
| Texas | 12,847 | 12,932 | 12,932 | 4.95 | 263 |
| Utah | 1,820 | 1,772 | 1,957 | 2.42 | 156 |
| Vermont | 941 | 926 | 1,071 | 11.98 | 351 |
| Virginia | 4,099 | 3,900 | 4,056 | 10.43 | 495 |
| Washington | 3,353 | 3,207 | 3,767 | 5.69 | 152 |
| West Virginia | 2,846 | 2,777 | 3,264 | 13.62 | 320 |
| Wisconsin | 7,039 | 6,900 | 7,459 | 14.01 | 304 |
| Wyoming | 1,429 | 1,414 | 1,526 | 1.56 | 70 |
| Arizona | 1,705 | 1,684 | 1,928 | 1.71 | 71 |
| New Mexico | 2,782 | 2,521 | 2,965 | 2.42 | 74 |
| District of Columbia | 51 | 42 | 31 | 53.53 | 9,709 |
| Canada(b) | 1,343 | 1,273 | |||
| United States | 221,132 | 216,460 | 227,671 | 7.74 | 370 |
| (a) Official mileage by States not available for 1908. | |||||
| (b) Mileage operated in Canada by American roads. | |||||
| Summary of Railway Mileage in the United States by States and Territories in 1909 and 1908 and its Relation to Area and Population—Continued. | |||||
| 1908 Owned (Official) Miles | Miles of Line per 100 Sq. Miles of Territory | Inhabitants per Mile of Line | |||
| United States, | 1909 | 234,182 | 7.88 | 379 | |
| " | " | 1908 | 230,494 | 7.76 | 378 |
| " | " | 1907 | 227,671 | 7.74 | 370 |
| " | " | 1906 | 222,575 | 7.55 | 373 |
| " | " | 1905 | 217,018 | 7.34 | 378 |
| " | " | 1904 | 212,577 | 7.20 | 379 |
| " | " | 1903 | 207,187 | 7.00 | 384 |
| " | " | 1902 | 201,673 | 6.82 | 388 |
| " | " | 1901 | 196,075 | 6.64 | 391 |
| " | " | 1900 | 192,941 | 6.51 | 393 |
| " | " | 1899 | 188,277 | 6.37 | 395 |
| " | " | 1898 | 185,371 | 6.28 | 394 |
| " | " | 1897 | 182,920 | 6.21 | 390 |
| " | " | 1896 | 181,154 | 6.15 | 384 |
| " | " | 1895 | 179,176 | 6.08 | 382 |
| " | " | 1894 | 176,603 | 6.02 | 379 |
| " | " | 1893 | 170,332 | 5.94 | 377 |
| " | " | 1892 | 165,691 | 5.78 | 380 |
| " | " | 1891 | 164,603 | 5.67 | 380 |
| " | " | 1890 | 159,272 | 5.51 | 384 |
The column of operated mileage in 1909 testifies to the comprehensive character of the reports to this Bureau, while the last two columns demonstrate how railway extension has kept pace with the growth of the country. Territorially the United States now has 43% more railway mileage than it had in 1890, and the last column proves that the mileage is greater proportionately to the population than it was twenty years ago. The contrast in the density of population per mile of line between Rhode Island and Nevada is illustrative of the startling diversity of conditions under which railways are operated in the United States.
Railways Built in 1909.
The new mileage reported as constructed in 1909 tallies more nearly than usual with the increase in mileage for which operating reports are received. As reported in the Railway and Engineering Review, February 19, 1910, the new mileage by states was as follows:
| Miles of Line Constructed During the Calendar Year 1909 by States and Territories. | |||
| State | Miles Built 1909 | State | Miles Built 1909 |
| Alaska | 48 | Montana | 125.08 |
| Alabama | 35.62 | Nebraska | 13.15 |
| Arkansas | 155.20 | Nevada | 304.50 |
| Arizona | 48.02 | New Hampshire | 1.55 |
| California | 248.60 | New Jersey | 33.95 |
| Colorado | 98.13 | New Mexico | 35.00 |
| District of Columbia | 3.81 | New York | 52.20 |
| Florida | 102.81 | North Carolina | 111.92 |
| Georgia | 138.70 | Ohio | 18.41 |
| Idaho | 50.49 | Oklahoma | 163.20 |
| Illinois | 23.45 | Oregon | 158.38 |
| Indiana | 10.82 | Pennsylvania | 106.66 |
| Kansas | 87.21 | South Carolina | 66.14 |
| Kentucky | 101.52 | Tennessee | 94.26 |
| Louisiana | 131.57 | Texas | 650.61 |
| Maine | 87.00 | Utah | 28.00 |
| Maryland | 4.68 | Virginia | 85.75 |
| Michigan | 77.58 | Washington | 209.84 |
| Minnesota | 164.70 | West Virginia | 131.78 |
| Mississippi | 36.60 | Wisconsin | 68.30 |
| Missouri | 11.84 | Wyoming | 15.57 |
| Total | 4,040.60 | ||
| Second track, sidings, etc. | 1,515.07 | ||
| Total all tracks | 5,555.67 | ||
Railway Mileage of Foreign Countries.