Which U.S. railroad, chartered in 1827, was the first common carrier railroad in the United States?

The U.S. railroad chartered in 1827 and recognized as the first common carrier railroad was the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

Maryland chartered the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in February 1827, with Virginia granting a complementary charter shortly afterward. Its founders wanted a faster route from Baltimore to the Ohio River and the growing markets west of the Appalachian Mountains, competing with canals and turnpikes for western trade.

Construction began in 1828, and the first section opened between Baltimore and Ellicott’s Mills, Maryland, in 1830. The B&O initially used horse-drawn trains, but it soon adopted steam power. The famous Tom Thumb locomotive demonstrated on the line in 1830, and regular steam operation followed in 1831.

The wording can cause confusion because other railroads had earlier charters, including the Albany and Schenectady Railroad in 1826. The B&O’s distinction is its early operation as a public common carrier and its status as the first steam-operated common carrier in the United States. It later expanded westward and ultimately became part of the CSX system.