How long did the journey take for the Mormons to move to salt lake city?

Answer 1

Dozens of groups travelled the Mormon trail over a period of about 20 years. The length of time it took to travel the trail depended on the starting point, mode of travel, weather conditions, and who was in the party. A group of a few men on horseback or in a small wagon could make it in a matter of a couple weeks. Groups like this consisting of misisonaries assigned to the east coast or Europe were a common sight along the trail. A large group of families traveling in a wagon train would take a few months, and a large group traveling by handcart would take several months. Some started from Illinois, some from St. Louis Missouri, and others from other states in the east, where they had arrived from Europe.

Answer 2

The first wagon train took over 1 year and 5 months. The first wagon train left Nauvoo, Illinois in Feb. of 1846. They crossed Iowa and camped for the winter at a place they called Winter Quarter, Neb., which is near Omaha, Neb. In the spring of 1847 the first wagons departed Winter Quarter for the west (April 14,1847) and arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah, on June 24, 1847 (that portion took over 3 months). The original distance traveled was 1,300 miles.

After the first wagon train, others followed for the next 20 years and the time became much quicker.

By 1857 handcart companies crossed the plains in about 3 1/2 months.

Entry: 'Sept. - Fri. 26 'The first two companies of immigrating saints, which crossed the plains with handcarts, arrived at G.S.L. City, ...left Iowa City June 9, and ...June 11th." (LDS Church Chronology 1805 - 1914, page 57)

Today (2011) you could travel the 1300 miles driving at 75 mph in 17 hours & 33 minutes.