Transportation Costs in the Antebellum USA: A New County-Level Dataset with Time-, Region-, and Direction-Specific Freight Rates, 1820–1860

We construct a county-to-county transport cost dataset for the USA from 1820 to 1860, using freight rates specific to time, region, and transport direction, alongside historical transport networks. We analyze the impact of canals and railways on transport costs, market access, and land values. By 1860, these infrastructures shifted the highest market access from the Atlantic coast to the Midwest and Great Lakes. Market access positively correlated with land value changes in 1850–1860. Both new transport infrastructure and reduced freight costs significantly lowered transport costs, driving economic shifts.