Originally produced by National Railway Publication Company of New York City from 1868, the guide was last published by IHS Markit in mid-2020.

[1] The result was the monthly publication of the Travelers Official Railway Guide of the United States, Mexico and Canada, beginning with a 200-page first edition in June 1868.

Eventually the Official Guide would list all of the passenger train schedules of railroads in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Central America.

The Official Guide was the primary reference used by ticket agents for all railroads in the U.S. and Canada, and for international rail travel to Mexico.

With the resurgence of rail freight in the U.S. since the 1990s, the quarterly Official Railway Guide was used by transportation and logistics managers for routing and shipping information.