Editing Oregon Trail (section)

===Western census data===
{| class=" wiki table float left"
|+ Census Population of western States<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1870a-03.pdf |title = U.S. Census 1790–1870 |access-date = May 20, 2012 }}</ref>
|-
! State
! 1860
! 1870
! Difference
|-
! California
| 379,994
| 560,247
| 180,253
|-
! Nevada
| 6,857
| 42,491
| 35,634
|-
! Oregon
| 52,465
| 90,923
| 38,458
|-
! Colorado<ref name="territories">Territory</ref>
| 34,277
| 39,684
| 5,407
|-
! Idaho<ref name="territories" />
| −
| 14,990
| 14,990
|-
! Montana<ref name="territories" />
| −
| 20,595
| 20,595
|-
! Utah<ref name="territories" />
| 40,273
| 86,789
| 46,516
|-
! Washington<ref name="territories" />
| 11,594
| 23,955
| 12,361
|-
! Wyoming<ref name="territories" />
| −
| 9,118
| 9,118
|-
! Totals
! 525,460
! 888,792
! 363,332
|}

These census numbers show a 363,000 population increase in the western states and territories between 1860 and 1870. Some of this increase is because of a high birth rate in the western states and territories, but most is from emigrants moving from the east to the west and new immigration from Europe. Much of the increase in California and Oregon was from emigration by ship, as there was fast and reasonably low-cost transportation via East and West Coast steamships and the Panama Railroad after 1855. The census numbers imply at least 200,000 emigrants (or more) used some variation of the California/Oregon/Mormon/Bozeman Trails to get to their new homes between 1860 and 1870.