• Stone Ruins at the Sand Springs Pony Express Station in Nevada

    Pony Express

    National Historic Trail CA,CO,KS,MO,NE,NV,UT,WY

Auto Tour Route - Kansas

Below are driving directions to follow the Pony Express National Historic Trail west through Kansas, from Missouri to Nebraska. A simple map showing the general route is below the directions.

From St. Joseph, MO:

1. Take U.S. Route 36 west to State Route 148.
2. Turn north onto State Route 148.

From Atchison, KS:

1. Take U.S. Route 73 west to State Route 9.
2. Turn west onto State Route 9.
3. Take State Route 9 west to State Route 63.
4. Turn north onto State Route 63.
5. Take State Route 63 north to U.S. Route 36.
6. Turn west onto U.S. Route 36.
7. Take U.S. Route 36 west to State Route 148.
8. Turn north onto State Route 148.

Total original route miles in Kansas: 139
 
Map image showing the auto tour route driving directions across Kansas.
Map image showing the auto tour route driving directions across Kansas.
NPS Image

Did You Know?

Modern-day Pony Express riders greet people from around the world at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

During the 2002 Winter Olympics, held at Salt Lake City, Utah, Pony Express riders constructed a relay station and performed demonstrations depicting the change of horses and transferring the mochilla pouch that carried the U.S. mail from April 1860 to November 1861. More...