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Long-Distance Routes and What They Cover
Amtrak operates 15 long-distance routes covering roughly 21,400 route miles across 46 states. Most long-distance trains depart once daily in each direction, and the longest end-to-end runs take two nights. The five routes below account for most of the mountain, canyon, and coastline segments that appear in rail-focused itineraries.
California Zephyr: Chicago to Emeryville
A 2,438-mile route with a published run time of about 51 hours 20 minutes between Chicago Union Station and Emeryville, north of San Francisco. The train follows the Colorado River through Glenwood Canyon, crosses the Continental Divide at the Moffat Tunnel, and climbs the Sierra Nevada between Reno and Colfax. Summer sleeper space on this route often sells out two to three months ahead.
Empire Builder: Chicago to Seattle and Portland
About 2,206 miles to Seattle and 2,257 miles to Portland, with scheduled times near 46 and 45 hours. The route follows the Mississippi River north of St. Paul, crosses the North Dakota plains, and runs along the southern boundary of Glacier National Park in Montana. The train splits into two sections at Spokane, one continuing to Seattle and one to Portland.
Coast Starlight: Seattle to Los Angeles
A 1,377-mile run scheduled at roughly 35 hours between King Street Station in Seattle and Los Angeles Union Station. Daylight segments include Puget Sound south of Tacoma, the Cascade Range in southern Oregon, and about 100 miles of Pacific coastline between San Luis Obispo and Ventura. Northbound and southbound departures both run once daily.
Southwest Chief: Chicago to Los Angeles
Approximately 2,265 miles and 43 hours through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. Notable sections include the climb over Raton Pass on the Colorado–New Mexico line and the desert stretches between Albuquerque and Barstow. The train stops at Flagstaff, roughly 30 miles from the Grand Canyon's South Rim entrance.
Sunset Limited: New Orleans to Los Angeles
About 1,995 miles and 48 hours, departing three days per week in each direction rather than daily. The route crosses the Louisiana bayous, the Texas Hill Country west of San Antonio, and the deserts of New Mexico, Arizona, and Southern California. Because of the reduced frequency, trips that combine this route with a daily train require checking which weekdays line up at the transfer station.
Union Stations and City Stopovers
Where Routes Meet and Where a Trip Can Be Broken
Long-distance trains terminate at major union stations, and most of these buildings sit within walking distance or a short transit ride of downtown hotels. Breaking a trip into segments is done by booking separate tickets for each leg, and the total fare is calculated from the sum of those segments rather than the through fare. A stopover of one to three nights is workable at nearly any station where the train makes a scheduled stop.
Chicago Union Station
Terminal for the California Zephyr, Empire Builder, Southwest Chief, Lake Shore Limited, Cardinal, and Texas Eagle, among other services. The station occupies a block in the West Loop, about a 10-minute walk from the Willis Tower and connected to the CTA Blue Line. Sleeper passengers have access to the Metropolitan Lounge between trains.
Denver Union Station
Served once daily in each direction by the California Zephyr. Westbound departures are scheduled in the morning, which places the climb into the Rocky Mountains in daylight. The station is in the Lower Downtown district, a short walk from the 16th Street Mall and the Denver Millennium Bridge.
Seattle King Street Station
Northern terminus of the Coast Starlight and western terminus of the Empire Builder. Pioneer Square and the waterfront are within walking distance, and Link light rail connects the station to Seattle–Tacoma International Airport in about 40 minutes. The station is also served by Sounder commuter trains and Amtrak Cascades services.
Los Angeles Union Station
Terminus for the Coast Starlight, Southwest Chief, and Sunset Limited, and a stop for Pacific Surfliner trains along the Southern California coast. Metro rail lines and the FlyAway bus to Los Angeles International Airport both serve the station. The building sits at the northern edge of downtown, near Olvera Street and Chinatown.
New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal
Eastern terminus of the Sunset Limited and southern terminus of the City of New Orleans. The station is on Loyola Avenue, roughly a 15-minute walk from the French Quarter, and connects to the RTA streetcar and bus network. Trains arrive and depart in the morning and early afternoon, which leaves most of the day free for a stopover.
Connections and Timetables
How Segments Fit Together
Long-distance trains are not synchronized with one another, so a multi-route itinerary depends on published schedules and minimum connecting times. Amtrak's reservation system blocks same-day transfers that fall below those minimums, which is why some route combinations require an overnight stop. Timetables are published 11 months ahead and are revised in the fall for the following year.
Same-Day Transfers at Chicago
Chicago Union Station handles more transfers between long-distance trains than any other station in the system. The published minimum connecting time at Chicago is 60 minutes, and the reservation system will not issue a same-day connection below that threshold. Several westbound departures leave in the early afternoon, allowing a morning arrival from the East Coast to transfer.
Guaranteed Connections
When a transfer is booked as part of a single reservation, Amtrak treats it as a guaranteed connection. If the inbound train runs late and the outbound train departs first, Amtrak rebooks the passenger on the next available departure at no additional fare. Overnight accommodation is provided in some cases, but the policy depends on the station and the number of days until the next departure.
Thruway Bus Segments
proustite.net was founded in March 2019 in Denver, Colorado, and publishes rail-focused travel itineraries for the United States. A small team of route researchers and editors maintains the itinerary library. The editorial scope covers 21 long-distance and regional Amtrak routes, among them the California Zephyr, Coast Starlight, Empire Builder, Southwest Chief, Sunset Limited, Crescent, Lake Shore Limited, and Cardinal. The itinerary library covers named long-distance routes, major stations, and published Thruway bus connections.
Three-Times-Weekly Schedules
Most long-distance routes run daily, but the Sunset Limited and the Cardinal operate three days per week in each direction. Combining one of these routes with a daily train means the transfer only works on specific weekdays. The Texas Eagle runs daily but splits into two sections several days a week, with one section continuing to Los Angeles via the Sunset Limited corridor.
Overnight Layovers
Where a connection requires a night in a city, the layover is usually at a downtown station rather than a suburban one. Hotels within walking distance of Chicago Union Station, Denver Union Station, and New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal are commonly used for this purpose. Passengers holding separate tickets rather than a single reservation are not covered by the guaranteed connection policy.
Tickets, Onboard Accommodations, and Practical Details
What a Long-Distance Ticket Includes
Fares on long-distance trains depend on accommodation type, demand, and how far ahead the ticket is purchased. Sleeper fares include meals in the dining car, while coach passengers purchase meals separately. A single train can carry coach, Roomette, Bedroom, and Family Bedroom accommodations at the same time, each priced differently.
Coach Seating
Coach seats on long-distance trains recline with a fold-down leg rest and include a reading light and a 120-volt outlet shared between each pair of seats. Coach passengers have access to the lounge car and can buy food and drinks from the café car. Coach fares are the lowest on each route and are priced per segment rather than per day of travel.
Sleeper Accommodations
A Roomette holds two passengers in facing seats that convert to upper and lower berths overnight, with a closing door and a private window. Bedrooms sleep two in a wider layout with an in-room toilet and shower, and Family Bedrooms sleep four in a larger configuration. Accessible bedrooms are available on most long-distance trains. Sleeper fares include dining car meals for the passengers occupying the room.
Baggage Allowance
Each passenger may bring two personal items up to 25 pounds each and two carry-on bags up to 50 pounds each, with carry-on dimensions capped at 28 x 22 x 14 inches. Checked baggage is available at staffed stations on most long-distance routes, generally with two bags free per passenger and a charge for additional bags up to the four-bag limit. Unstaffed stations cannot accept checked luggage.
Dining Onboard
Full dining car service operates on the California Zephyr, Empire Builder, Coast Starlight, Southwest Chief, and Sunset Limited. Meals are included in sleeper fares and priced à la carte for coach passengers, and the car attendant announces breakfast, lunch, and dinner seatings each day. Eastern overnight routes such as the Lake Shore Limited, Cardinal, and Crescent use a simplified menu rather than a full dining car.
Punctuality and Delays
Long-distance trains run mostly on track owned by freight railroads, and delays of one to several hours occur when freight traffic takes priority or when track work is underway. On-time performance across long-distance routes has generally fallen between 60 and 80 percent in recent years, with the weakest figures on routes in the South and Midwest. Published schedules include some padding, but a connection under two hours carries a measurable risk of a missed transfer.