<P> Alexander Majors, one of the founders of the Pony Express, had acquired more than 400 horses for the project . He selected horses from around the west, paying an average of $200 . These averaged about 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm) high and averaged 900 pounds (410 kg) each; thus, the name pony was appropriate, even if not strictly correct in all cases . </P> <P> The approximately 1,900 - mile - long (3,100 km) route roughly followed the Oregon and California Trails to Fort Bridger in Wyoming, and then the Mormon Trail (known as the Hastings Cutoff) to Salt Lake City, Utah . From there it followed the Central Nevada Route to Carson City, Nevada before passing over the Sierra into Sacramento, California . </P> <P> The route started at St. Joseph, Missouri on the Missouri River, it then followed what is modern - day U.S. Highway 36 (US 36 the Pony Express Highway) to Marysville, Kansas, where it turned northwest following Little Blue River to Fort Kearny in Nebraska . Through Nebraska it followed the Great Platte River Road, cutting through Gothenburg, Nebraska, clipping the edge of Colorado at Julesburg, Colorado, and passing Courthouse Rock, Chimney Rock, and Scotts Bluff, before arriving at Fort Laramie in Wyoming . From there it followed the Sweetwater River, passing Independence Rock, Devil's Gate, and Split Rock, to Fort Caspar, through South Pass to Fort Bridger and then down to Salt Lake City . From Salt Lake City it generally followed the Central Nevada Route blazed by Captain James H. Simpson of the Corps of Topographical Engineers in 1859 . This route roughly follows today's US 50 across Nevada and Utah . It crossed the Great Basin, the Utah - Nevada Desert, and the Sierra Nevada near Lake Tahoe before arriving in Sacramento . Mail was then sent via steamer down the Sacramento River to San Francisco . On a few instances when the steamer was missed, riders took the mail via horseback to Oakland, California . </P> <P> There were 184 stations along the long and arduous route used by the Pony Express . The stations and station keepers were essential to the successful, timely and smooth operation of the Pony Express mail system . The stations were often fashioned out of existing structures, several of them located in military forts, while others were built anew in remote areas where living conditions were very basic . The route was divided up into five divisions . To maintain the rigid schedule, 157 relay stations were located from 5 to 25 miles (8 to 40 km) apart as the terrain would allow for . At each swing station, riders would exchange their tired mounts for fresh ones, while "home stations" provided room and board for the riders between runs . This technique allowed the mail to be whisked across the continent in record time . Each rider rode about 75 miles (120 km) per day . </P>

Where did the pony express route begin and end
find me the text answering this question