The Overland Route, required crossing the Great Plains and Deserts of the West. The traveler would have to Walk and/or Ride across more than 2,000 miles of the US. Wagons and carts were pulled by mules or oxen, and sometime horses. Starting somewhere along the Mississippi River, the  trip would take between 4 to 12 months by wagon. The mortality rate was very high on this route, with ten percent of those going by land, never completed the trip. The greatest death toll was due to diseases and accidents. Even with all of its difficulties, this was still the most popular route, and in 1849, an estimated 35,000 people went overland. It offered a way for a man, of very little means, to move his whole family to California.

Some of the travelers took the Southern trails, which included the Sonora Trail, which would swing into Mexico. Others took the Santa Fe Trail, and its many extensions. The majority of the travelers went by the Oregon and Mormon trails. These two trails, ran parallel to each other, on different sides of the Platte River, across the Great Plains and over the Rockies. Once over the Rockies, these trails headed to California, by numerous other trails.

The trip did have its limitations and a very ridged timetable. You had to start your trip in the early Spring, to ensure that there was good green grass on the prairie to feed their livestock. They had to be over the Sierra Nevada mountains in California, before the first snows. Otherwise, you would have to spend the Winter somewhere on the trail. If they had not started their journey by the middle of June, they would have to find a place to spend the winter. The most popular place, was Salt Lake, because there was a growing Mormon community there, and supplies could be purchased.

Another route, was the Cape Horn Route was sailing around Cape Horn and the Straights of Magellan in South America, which took 6 to 12 months. A distance of over 13,600 miles. This route was shorter and quicker, than the overland route and also filled with hazards. Sailing through the Straights of Magellan was a very dangerous procedure, with the rough weather, currents and tides. Quite a few ships were lost making this passage. Due to the danger, there were not very many ship captains that were willing to navigate those waters. Another problem with this route, was that in 1849, most of the ships available to make this trip, did so. Any ship was could sail, whether it was equipped for the hazardous trip or not, was pressed into service. Those that had been retired, due to leaks or other problems, were quickly patched up and were maid available for the California run. Most of the whaling fleet of New England, was diverted for use by the Argonauts. Many of these ships were ill prepared for the harsh environment, and was lost at sea. No body knows how many of these ships went down, but it is believed that there were many that met their fate in Davy Jone's Locker. 

Once in San Francisco, the crews tended to abandoned the ships, so that they could dig for gold. A sailor (and Captain) could make more money in one day of digging for gold, then in a whole month on ship. Soon, San Francisco Bay, became filled with abandoned ships, without crews and captains to sail them back. 

There were three primary way to accomplish the Central American route.

The most difficult, and longest of these routes is via the Tehuantepec Route. This route started on the Gulf of Mexico, at the town of Barra. This required crossing by foot, mule or horse through Mexico.

Another route was the Nicaragua Route. This required that you sail from the east coast of the US to the San Juan River on the Atlantic coast to the town of Grey Town (British name) or San Juan del Norte (the Nicaraguan name). They would go by boat up the San Juan River past a small series of rapids, into Lake Nicaragua at the town of San Carlos. Once on the lake, there were two alternative routes, each requiring some type of boat. One goes to the north corner of the lake where you had to cross overland a short distance to Lake Managua. Navigating through Lake Managua, reaching the Monotombo Valley, on the north coast. A short overland cross gets you to the town of Leon and the Pacific Ocean. This over river, land, and lake trek through Nicaragua, was 278 miles long.

The other route, goes to the western coast of Lake Nicaragua to the town of Laguas. Here you cross overland over a small mountain range, to the San Juan del Sur River. By boat, you go down the river to the town of San Juan del Sur on the Pacific Ocean. This route, was 172 miles, through Nicaragua. From New York to San Francisco, the Nicaragua Route, was about 4,900 miles, and took from 2 to 3 months to complete.

In 1850, Cornelius Vanderbilt secured a concession from Nicaragua for the privilege of transporting passengers by steamer and road or canal across the country. He promised to build a canal from Lake Nicaragua to the Pacific, but this was never done. Vanderbilt proposed to have a small steamer that would passed through the rapids and shallows of the San Juan River to Lake Nicaragua. He had his own ships running from New York and New Orleans to Greytown and from San Juan del Sur on the Pacific side to San Francisco. Passenger service was inaugurated during the summer of 1851 going up the river in small steam boats, were transferred to lake steamers at San Carlos and sail across the lake to Virgin Bay. For the thirteen miles of overland transit to the Pacific coast, Vanderbilt constructed a macadam  road over which travelers rode in some brightly painted, blue-and-while coaches with the seal of Nicaragua painted on the side. Although this route sounded ideal, it had a big problem with consistency. It was not working more often then it did. People would get stranded at Greytown for weeks, before they could find transportation up the river. This happened during all legs of the journey.

Between the years of 1848 and 1869, approximately 373,000 passengers going to San Francisco from New York, went via the Panama Route. Through the Nicaragua Route, there were 68,000 passengers. This averaged to 17,800 passengers a year for Panama and 3,200 passengers per year for Nicaragua.