The Southwest Chief Amtrak route connects Chicago with Los Angeles and provides an old west tour of the United States. Canyons, ranches, deserts and mountains provide a spectacular backdrop for this epic journey. Exit at the Flagstaff Amtrak Station for travel connections to the Grand Canyon. For a virtual tour, check out our audio route overview.
Things to Know
- No WiFi and limited cell phone coverage
- Delays are possible
- New Mexico and Colorado are the states with daytime views and the best scenery
- National park rangers typically provide on board narratives between May and September on parts of the route
- Motion sickness can happen on the longer Amtrak trips as the trains sway, so bring medicine just in case as well as a sweatshirt and/or a small blanket because trains can be cold
Schedule
Visit the Amtrak timetable for the Southwest Chief to plan your trip. You can also view schedules when booking your tickets.
Highlights:
- Trains depart and arrive in Chicago around 3 p.m.
- Trains depart Los Angeles just after 6 p.m. and arrive there just after 8 a.m.
- Total trip time is almost two full days (two nights on the train)
- Overnight, trains are in Arizona and Kansas
- Arrival time at Flagstaff is better on westbound trains (between 8 and 9 p.m.)
- To see the San Bernardino mountains, Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, travel eastbound in June.
Reviews
Overall ratings for the Southwest Chief on Yelp is 3.5/5 stars and TripAdvisor is a mix of positive and negative reviews. Here are some of the top takeaways:
- Amazing scenery, but some reviewers recommend the California Zephyr over the Southwest Chief
- Desserts and dinner menu items can run out over the course of the long trip, so consider having early dinners to get first pick
- Pack cleaning wipes for extra wipe down of your roomette, bedroom or bathroom
- Passengers liked the food, but it can be expensive if you have a coach seat, so consider bringing a meal or two on board if you don’t have meals included in your ticket price
Major Stops
- Los Angeles
- Flagstaff
- Albuquerque
- Kansas City
- Chicago
Stations
- Chicago, IL – Union Station (CHI)
- Naperville, IL (NPV)
- Mendota, IL (MDT)
- Princeton, IL (PCT)
- Galesburg, IL (GBB)
- Fort Madison, IA (FMD)
- La Plata, MO (LAP)
- Kansas City, MO – Union Station (KCY)
- Lawrence, KS (LRC)
- Topeka, KS (TOP)
- Newton, KS (NEW)
- Hutchinson, KS (HUT)
- Dodge City, KS (DDG)
- Garden City, KS (GCK)
- Lamar, CO (LMR)
- La Junta, CO (LAJ)
- Trinidad, CO (TRI)
- Raton, NM (RAT)
- Las Vegas, NM (LSV)
- Lamy, NM (LMY)
- Albuquerque, NM – Alvarado Transportation Center (ABQ)
- Gallup, NM (GLP)
- Winslow, AZ (WLO)
- Flagstaff, AZ – Amtrak Station (FLG)
- Kingman, AZ (KNG)
- Needles, CA (NDL)
- Barstow, CA – Harvey House Railroad Depot (BAR)
- Victorville, CA – Amtrak Station (VRV)
- San Bernardino, CA (SNB)
- Riverside, CA (RIV)
- Fullerton, CA (FUL)
- Los Angeles, CA – Union Station (LAX)
Attractions
- Chinese American Museum
- The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA
- Japanese American National Museum
- Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
- Ahmanson Theatre
- Grand Park
- LA Opera
- Walt Disney Concert Hall
- Fullerton Train Museum
- Cajon Pass
- Historic Route 66
- Mohave Museum of History and Arts
- Mojave Desert
- Grand Canyon
- Flagstaff art galleries
- Orpheum Theater
- San Francisco Peaks
- Winslow, Arizona (made famous by Eagles song, “Take It Easy”)
- Rex Museum
- Continental Divide
- Sandia Mountains
- Lamy Railroad & History Museum
- Apache Canyon
- Santa Fe National Forest
- Dodge City
- Kansas State Fair
- Cosmosphere
- Model Rail Experience
- Missouri Korean War Veterans Memorial
- Kansas City Ballet
- Missouri River
- Mississippi River
- Galesburg Railroad Museum
- Discovery Depot Children’s Museum
- Mendota Sweet Corn Festival
- Chicago Loop
- Willis Tower
