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 Empire Builder offers additional views of forests and rivers in the Pacific Northwest while the California Zephyr has more mountain views as it travels through the Colorado Rockies and Sierra Nevada.

Another major difference is how seasons impact views along the routes. A trip on the Empire Builder is best in the summer as early winter sunsets limit views of the scenery. However, Colorado Rocky Mountain views from the California Zephyr trains are minimally impacted by fall and winter daylight changes, making this route great to ride all year long.

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	45 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