City of New Orleans Route Guide

The City of New Orleans Amtrak is one of Amtrak’s shorter long-distance routes with service between New Orleans and Chicago. It’s a great route to ride for food, music and culture. Experience Midwestern towns, blues and barbecue Memphis, and the Deep South as you travel through Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Explore popular stops, schedule highlights and travel tips to plan your trip.

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City of New Orleans Overview

What to Know	Facts & Highlights
Distance	934 miles
Travel time	19.5 hours
Frequency	One train daily in each direction
Best time to ride	All year
Scenery highlights	Farms, forests, Lake Pontchartrain

Popular Stops

Explore the popular stops on the City of New Orleans route below. Click the links to learn about top things to do and places to stay.

Schedule Highlights

Trains depart Chicago in the evening.
Trains depart New Orleans in the afternoon.
Trains arrive in New Orleans in mid-afternoon.
Overnight, trains are in parts of Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee.
Trip time between New Orleans and Memphis is about 4 hours.
Travel time between New Orleans and Jackson is almost 5 hours.
Trip time between New Orleans and Chicago is about 19 hours.

Tips and Things to Know

No WiFi.
The majority of daytime travel is in Mississippi.
If you book a roomette or bedroom, you can bring on board alcohol and drink it in your room.
There is a café car available to all passengers and flexible dining option for passengers who book sleeping accommodations.
Chicago is a wonderful place to visit in summer, but avoid summer travel to New Orleans due to the heat and tropical storm threats.
Plan a trip to Memphis to visit Graceland, Beale Street, Blues Hall of Fame and the National Civil Rights Museum. The station is in a walkable area, and there’s even a hotel next to the station.
In addition to Mardi Gras, the other big event to check out in New Orleans is the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which usually takes place in late April and early May. There are performances from mainstream artists in addition to jazz musicians.
Besides historic sites, eating and drinking, ghost tours, bayou excursions and the National World War II Museum are top things to do in New Orleans.
You can walk less than 15 minutes from the New Orleans Amtrak station to reach hotels in the Central Business District, the closest being the Hyatt Regency New Orleans. Staying in the French Quarter is another great option to be near historic sites, bars and restaurants. It’s a short Lyft, Uber or taxi ride away.

Stations

Explore the full list of City of New Orleans train stations in route order. Click the station names to view amenities and additional details on the Amtrak website.