Empire Builder vs Southwest Chief

If you’re trying to decide on which long-distance Amtrak route to ride, it can be a tough decision. The Empire Builder and Southwest Chief are two options, which are about the same length (you’ll spend two nights on the train). Both also travel between Chicago and the West Coast, but have very different scenery. The Southwest Chief travels through the desert and the Empire Builder travels through the Montana Rocky Mountains (pictured above) and in the forests of the Pacific Northwest.

Time of year also matters when choosing which route to ride. It’s best to ride the Empire Builder in the summer if viewing scenery is your priority, especially if you are traveling west. Summer is also the popular time to travel to Glacier National Park, Wisconsin Dells, Seattle and Portland, which are all stops on the Empire Builder route.

On the other hand, you may want to avoid a summer trip through the desert on the Southwest Chief due to the high temperatures. Plus, spring and fall are good times to visit the Grand Canyon, which you can reach from the Flagstaff Amtrak Station.

See the chart below to learn more about the two routes. Note that amenities on both trains are the same, including observation cars, sleeper cars, dining car for sleeper car passengers and a café car for all passengers.

This website is reader supported and we may earn a small commission from links on this page.

	Empire Builder	Southwest Chief
Route Length	2,206 & 2,257 miles	2,265 miles
Travel Time	45 hours	43 hours
Stations	30+	30+
Frequency	Daily	Daily
Train Type	Superliner	Superliner
Dining Options	Café for coach passengers, traditional dining car for sleeper car passengers	Café for coach passengers, traditional dining car for sleeper car passengers
Observation Car	Yes	Yes
WiFi	No	No
States on the Route	Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Washington, Oregon	Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, California
End-of-the Line Stations	Chicago, Portland, Seattle	Chicago and Los Angeles
Popular Stops	Chicago, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Dells, St. Paul, Whitefish, Portland, Seattle	Chicago, Kansas City, Dodge City, Albuquerque, Flagstaff, Los Angeles
Landscapes	Midwest farms, Great Plains, Montana Rocky Mountains, Pacific NW forests, Puget Sound, Columbia River Gorge	Midwest farms, Great Plains, Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Apache Canyon, deserts
Best Scenery	Montana Rocky Mountains, Columbia River Gorge, Puget Sound	Apache Canyon, New Mexico desert
National Parks	Glacier National Park	Grand Canyon (via Flagstaff) Petrified Forest (via Gallop or Winslow)