Borchert's epochs refer to five distinct periods in the history of American urbanization. Each epoch is characterized by the impact of a particular transport technology on the creation and differential rates of growth of American cities. This model was conceptualized by University of Minnesota geographer John R. Borchert in 1967. The five epochs identified by Borchert are:
- Sail-Wagon Epoch (1790–1830),
- Iron Horse Epoch (1830–1870), characterized by impact of steam engine technology, and development of steamboats and regional railroad networks.
- Steel Rail Epoch (1870–1920), dominated by the development of long haul railroads and a national railroad network.
- Auto-Air-Amenity Epoch (1920–1970), saw growth in the gasoline combustion engine
- Satellite-Electronic-Jet Propulsion (1970-?), also called the High-Technology Epoch
Borchert did not provide an ending date for his fifth epoch. Subsequent researchers (for example Phillips and Brunn) have proposed extension of Borchert's model with new epochs to take into account late 20th century developments in the pattern of metropolitan growth and decline in the United States.
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“Even though the world as a whole progresses, youth must always start again from the beginning, and as individuals go through the epochs of the world’s culture.”
—Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1749–1832)