Curious about Amtrak’s most popular stations? The 2025 numbers are now available on the Bureau of Transportation Statistics website, with New York Penn at the top of the list. Read on to view the top 15 stations by ridership to learn about connecting routes, why the station is popular, and why you may want to use the station on a future trip.
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1. New York Penn Station
- 2025 ridership: 13,037,414
- Major routes: Acela, Northeast Regional, Adirondack, Empire Service, Maple Leaf, Ethan Allen Express, Keystone Service, Crescent, Cardinal, Carolinian, Silver Meteor, Palmetto, Lake Shore Limited
- Why it’s so busy: New York City is a popular destination for area commuters, business travelers, and tourists. Many regional and long-distance Amtrak routes, NJ Transit, LIRR, and NYC subway trains stop at the station.
- Why visit: The station is a short walk away from Madison Square Garden, the Empire State Building, Times Square, and Broadway theaters.
- Plan your trip: View top things to do and places to stay in NYC
2. Washington Union Station
- 2025 ridership: 6,010,221
- Major routes: Acela, Northeast Regional, Carolinian, Crescent, Cardinal, Silver Meteor, Floridian, Vermonter, Palmetto
- Why it’s so busy: Many commuters and tourists use this station, which has connections to the DC subway, MARC trains, Virginia Railway Express, and long-distance buses.
- Why visit: You can avoid DC-area traffic with a train trip into the city. The station is within walking distance of the National Mall and Capitol Hill, plus you can easily reach hotels and other attractions via subway transfer.
- Plan your trip: View top things to do and places to stay in DC
3. Philadelphia 30th Street Station
- 2025 ridership: 5,586,174
- Major routes: Acela, Northeast Regional, Keystone Service, Pennsylvanian, Crescent, Cardinal, Silver Meteor, Palmetto, Carolinian
- Why it’s so busy: Like New York City, Philadelphia is a major Northeast train hub with subway, commuter, regional, and long-distance rail traffic.
- Why visit: The 30th Street Station is a beautiful Art Deco landmark near Center City, museums, universities, and historic attractions including the Liberty Bell.
- Plan your trip: View top things to do and places to stay in Philadelphia
4. Chicago Union Station
- 2025 ridership: 3,175,856
- Major routes: California Zephyr, Empire Builder, Southwest Chief, Texas Eagle, Lake Shore Limited, Cardinal, Floridian, Wolverine, Lincoln Service, Hiawatha, Borealis
- Why it’s so busy: Chicago is the starting and ending point for many long-distance and regional routes, including the scenic California Zephyr and Empire Builder.
- Why visit: The historic Chicago Union Station (pictured top of page) provides easy access to the Loop, Riverwalk, Millennium Park, world-class museums, and famous architecture. Chicago also has many events, festivals, and live performances you can reach by train.
- Plan your trip: View top things to do and places to stay in Chicago
5. Boston South Station
- 2025 ridership: 1,884,275
- Major routes: Acela, Northeast Regional, Lake Shore Limited
- Why it’s so busy: South Station is the end-of-the-line for the frequent Acela and Northeast Regional trains. Long-distance Lake Shore Limited and MBTA commuter trains also stop here.
- Why visit: The station is located in downtown Boston near the Seaport District, Freedom Trail, waterfront attractions, and historic sites.
- Plan your trip: View top things to do and places to stay in Boston
6. Baltimore Penn Station
- 2025 ridership: 1,333,185
- Major routes: Acela, Northeast Regional, Crescent, Cardinal, Silver Meteor
- Why it’s so busy: Baltimore Penn Station has strong commuter demand and connections with regional transit services.
- Why visit: The Inner Harbor, National Aquarium, and Fort McHenry National Monument are a short rideshare commute from the train station. Pair with a visit to Washington D.C. for a trip full of American history.
- Plan your trip: View top things to do and places to stay in Baltimore
7. Los Angeles Union Station
- 2025 ridership: 1,066,614
- Major routes: Pacific Surfliner, Coast Starlight, Southwest Chief, Sunset Limited, Texas Eagle
- Why it’s so busy: The beautiful L.A. Union Station has connections to multiple long-distance Amtrak routes and is a stop on the scenic Pacific Surfliner route. You can also transfer from Amtrak to Metrolink commuter trains, light rail, and multiple subway lines.
- Why visit: An architectural landmark, Los Angeles Union Station is worth seeing in person, and there’s easy access to Downtown LA, Chinatown, Little Tokyo and Olvera Street. Local transit and ride share also make it easy to visit L.A. attractions.
- Plan your trip: View top things to do and places to stay in L.A.
8. Albany–Rensselaer, New York
- 2025 ridership: 920,779
- Major routes: Adirondack, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Maple Leaf, Lake Shore Limited
- Why it’s so busy: Albany is the capital of New York and there are frequent Amtrak trains to and from New York City through the scenic Hudson River Valley.
- Why visit: Albany is one of the oldest cites in the U.S. and has an ornate 19th-century capitol building. USS Slater (World War II destroyer escort) tours and Hudson River sightseeing cruises are other popular activities.
- Plan your trip: View top things to do and places to stay in Albany
9. BWI Airport Station
- 2025 ridership: 911,275
- Major routes: Acela, Northeast Regional, Crescent, Palmetto, Vermonter
- Why it’s so busy: The free shuttle to and from BWI Airport offers a convenient train to plane or plane to train connection.
- Why visit: Use this station to reach the airport or connect with Amtrak trains after arriving via a flight. You can easily travel to and from cities including Washington D.C., Baltimore, Newark DE, Wilmington DE, and Philadelphia.
10. Boston Back Bay Station
- 2025 ridership: 894,548
- Major routes: Acela, Northeast Regional
- Why it’s so busy: Back Bay (like South Station), provides easy access to Boston attractions, businesses, and schools, plus you can transfer to the orange subway line here to reach the North Station, Tufts Medical Center, and tourist areas.
- Why visit: The station is next to Copley Place, steps from Newbury Street shopping, and is the closest Amtrak station to Fenway Park.
- Plan your trip: View top things to do and places to stay in Boston
11. Newark Penn Station
- 2025 ridership: 884,002
- Major routes: Acela, Northeast Regional, Keystone Service, Pennsylvanian, Crescent, Cardinal, Silver Meteor
- Why it’s so busy: Newark, NJ is a 20-minute train ride away from Manhattan, so there’s heavy commuter traffic, plus connections to PATH and NJ Transit trains.
- Why visit: Use the station to get to New York City or attend shows, concerts and sporting events in Newark.
- Plan your trip: View top things to do and places to stay in Newark, NJ.
12. New Haven Union Station
- 2025 ridership: 853,267
- Major routes: Acela, Northeast Regional, Hartford Line, Valley Flyer, Vermonter
- Why it’s so busy: Many commuters and college students use this station, and there are transfers between Amtrak and Metro-North trains here.
- Why visit: New Haven is full of historic architecture, art, and cultural attractions, including free museums on the Yale University campus.
- Plan your trip: View top things to do and places to stay in New Haven
13. Wilmington, Delaware
- 2025 ridership: 814,517
- Major routes: Acela, Northeast Regional, Silver Meteor, Crescent, Cardinal, Vermonter
- Why it’s so busy: Wilmington is Delaware’s largest city and the station is popular with commuters. Train travel time is about 20 minutes to Philadelphia and 1.5 hours to both New York City and Washington D.C.
- Why visit: A relaxed getaway, Wilmington is a small city with a riverwalk, parks, historic estates, and train excursions on the Wilmington & Western Railroad.
- Plan your trip: View top things to do and places to stay in Wilmington
14. Providence, Rhode Island
- 2025 ridership: 797,019
- Major routes: Acela, Northeast Regional
- Why it’s so busy: The station is within walking distance of downtown Providence and is popular with students and business travelers (Boston is only 30 minutes away on Amtrak).
- Why visit: Providence has historic neighborhoods, art venues, great restaurants, and river activities (including boat tours and WaterFire events). You can also board a ferry here to reach Newport, Rhode Island.
- Plan your trip: View top things to do and places to stay in Providence
15. Sacramento, California
- 2025 ridership: 764,100
- Major routes: Capitol Corridor, California Zephyr, Coast Starlight, Gold Runner
- Why it’s so busy: Sacramento is a rail hub in Northern California with connections to regional and long-distance Amtrak trains.
- Why visit: The California State Railroad Museum is a top attraction along with the Old Sacramento Waterfront, which has Gold-Rush era buildings, restaurants, shops, and access to river cruises. You can also use this station to reach the California State Fair (view dates).
- Plan your trip: View top things to do and places to stay in Sacramento
More Information
- Amtrak stations by state
- Amtrak trip planning guide
- 30 best cities to visit on Amtrak
- 20 easiest city-to-city train trips in the U.S.
Top photo: “Chicago Union Station” by Jeff Hitchcock, CC BY 2.0
US Train Travel Guide 