# Where/what are the oldest extant newspapers in the US?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-what-are-the-oldest-extant-newspapers-in-the-us/712720>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 15, 2015, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-what-are-the-oldest-extant-newspapers-in-the-us/712720 "2015-02-15T14:55:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-what-are-the-oldest-extant-newspapers-in-the-us/712720/1 "2015-02-15T14:55:47Z")

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No real reason, I was just wondering what is the oldest news paper in the US, and, if I should ever want to look at it, where would I have to go?

Thanks,  
hh

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**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-what-are-the-oldest-extant-newspapers-in-the-us/712720/2 "2015-02-15T15:10:22Z")

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In Hartford, Connecticut, the _[Hartford Courant](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartford_Courant)_, founded 1764, “often recognized as the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States.”

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-what-are-the-oldest-extant-newspapers-in-the-us/712720/3 "2015-02-15T15:40:25Z")

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[Chronicling America](http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/) is the digital database of American Newspapers from 1836-1922. I know this doesn’t contain the oldest, but it’s a free, searchable database provided by the Library of Congress online.

AS far as the oldest newspapers, there is also the [U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present]]([Search U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present « Chronicling America « Library of Congress](http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/search/titles/)) on that site also.

It indicates one of the oldest extant is the _South-Carolina Gazette_, begun in 1732. It exists on Microform.

If you’re fortunate enough to have a local library or, more likely a University library, with a subscription to ProQuest Historical Newspapers, the _Connecticut Courant_ as it was first titled in 1764 is viewable and searchable.

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**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-what-are-the-oldest-extant-newspapers-in-the-us/712720/4 "2015-02-15T19:29:04Z")

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Thank you, **Dewey Finn** and s **amclem**.

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**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-what-are-the-oldest-extant-newspapers-in-the-us/712720/5 "2015-02-15T20:04:17Z")

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[_The Maryland Gazette_, aka _The Gazette_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maryland_Gazette) claims to go back to 1727.