Last updated: September 10, 2026
Place
San Francisco Pony Express Stations 1-3
NPS Photo
Quick Facts
Location:
Station 1: HSBC Bank Building, 601 Montgomery St, GPS 37.79503 -122.40330 Station 2: Transamerica Pyramid Center, 600 Montgomery St, GPS 37.79507-122.40313 Station 3: Omni Hotel, 500 California St, GPS 37.792775 -122.402887
Significance:
These 3 stations in San Francisco were the true western termini of the Pony Express Trail during the Pony’s operations. Station 1 (April 3, 1860-October 2, 1860) sent out the first eastbound mochila and received the first westbound mochila; headquarters shifted across the street to Station 2 (October 3, 1860 - April 14, 1861); and they were moved a final time to Station 3 (April 15, 1861-Nov. 20, 1861), which received the last westbound mochila delivered by the Pony Express.
Designation:
Historic sites on the Pony Express National Historic Trail.
MANAGED BY:
Private, various
Amenities
8 listed
Accessible Sites, Cellular Signal, Dock/Pier, Ferry - Passenger, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Parking - Auto, Public Transit, Wheelchair Accessible
The Pony Express headquarters offices/stations at San Francisco were truly the final, western termini of the Pony Express Trail, completing the combined overland, railroad, and water routes between Sacramento and San Francisco.
The overland relay was originally meant to end at the Old Sacramento riverfront, where riders would stable their horses and board a river steamer bound for San Francisco. When riders missed the scheduled steamboat, which occurred on 20 occasions, they continued their ride overland to Benicia, changing horses along the way. At Benicia, the mochila passed to a relief rider who ferried across the Carquinez Strait to Martinez, rode on to Jack London Square in Oakland, and then crossed the bay by ferry. From there, horse and rider galloped up Telegraph Hill, to deliver the mochila to Pony Express headquarters.
The headquarters moved twice during the Pony Express operation:
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San Francisco Pony Express Station #1 — HSBC Bank Building, 601 Montgomery St. The Alta Telegraph Building once stood here as the first San Francisco Pony Express station. The first eastbound mochila departed from this location, with excited public fanfare, on April 3, 1860, and the first westbound mochila arrived just before midnight on April 14. A monument at the southwest corner of Merchant and Montgomery streets marks the site of the western headquarters of Russell, Majors, & Waddell, the company that operated the Pony Express. Five commemorative plaques are mounted along the Clay St side of the building, and a California State Historical “bear plaque” monument stands nearby.
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San Francisco Pony Express Station #2 — Northeast corner of Montgomery and Clay Sts. Headquarters across the street later in 1860. This became the trail terminus from October 3, 1860, to April 14, 1861. The eye-catching Transamerica Pyramid Center now occupies the site.
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San Francisco Pony Express Station #3 — Montgomery & California Sts. The final headquarters operated here from April 15 to November 20, 1861, at the spot now occupied by the Omni Hotel. No marker commemorates this station.
For additional historical exhibits, including stories of the city’s early minting operations, visitors can explore the Museum of San Francisco at 608 Commercial St. This San Francisco historical museum stands on the site of the first US Branch Mint in the West, which began producing gold coins in 1854, ending the need to ship bullion to Philadelphia for minting. Exhibits, interpretation, and walking tours highlight many aspects of San Francisco history.
Site Information
Location (Station 1: HSBC Bank Building, 601 Montgomery St, GPS 37.79503 -122.40330
Station 2: Transamerica Pyramid Center, 600 Montgomery St, GPS 37.79507-122.40313
Station 3: Omni Hotel, 500 California St, GPS 37.792775 -122.402887)