Empire Builder vs California Zephyr

The Empire Builder and the California Zephyr are two of Amtrak’s most popular routes. Both travel in the western half of the United States through the Rocky Mountains. The main difference is that the California Zephyr has more (and better) mountain scenery as it travels through the Colorado Rockies and Sierra Nevada. The Empire Builder, on the other hand, travels through the Great Plains for an entire day, so the scenery is more monotonous.

Another major difference is the best time to ride. A trip on the Empire Builder is best in the summer as early winter sunsets limit views of the scenery (although winter travel is snow-filled and you can go skiing near stops on the route). You also must travel east on the Empire Builder to see the mountains. The California Zephyr has more flexibility; mountain views are minimally impacted by sunset times, and you can travel east or west, though westbound is recommended.

For more differences and similarities between these two Amtrak routes, see the information below.

	California Zephyr	Empire Builder
Route Length	2,438 miles	2,200+ miles
Travel Time	50+ hours	46 hours
Frequency	Daily	Daily
Type of Train	Superliner	Superliner
Sightseer Lounge	Yes	Yes
Dining Options	Café for coach passengers, traditional dining car for sleeper car passengers	Café for coach passengers, traditional dining car for sleeper car passengers
WiFi	No	No
States on the Route	Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California	Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon
End-of-the Line Stations	Chicago and Emeryville	Chicago, Portland, Seattle
Popular Stops	Chicago, Omaha, Denver, Winter Park, Salt Lake City, Reno, Sacramento, Emeryville	Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul-Minneapolis, East Glacier Park, Whitefish, Portland, Seattle
Landscapes	Midwest farms, Great Plains, Colorado Rocky Mountains, Colorado River, Ruby Canyon, Sierra Nevada	Midwest farms, Great Plains, Montana Rocky Mountains, Columbia River Gorge, Puget Sound
Best Scenery	Colorado Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada	Montana Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwest
National Parks	Rocky Mountain National Park (via Denver)	Glacier National Park